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PACKAGE

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Quake III Arena™ C 1999 id Software, Inc. All RIgtits Reserved. Distributed by At
under license. QUAKE*, the O'- looo, and Id* logo are registered iradamarKs of Id S'
Inc. QUAKE III Arena'*^, QUAKE It™, the Oil™ logo, Ihe Qlll™ logo, and the Id Sol

- - -■ Id Software,

, ... ... .... Id Software™

re trademarks of Id Software. Inc, Actlvtsidn* is a registered tradsmarli of Actfvision,

c. All other trademarks, trade names, and images are properties of their respective owners.

Vo ttitlhk CbMSK.

. Opera tesoTL— — -
''■^iTWb'qOARTERS ONLY
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and insert In slot-
TURN^HANDLE TO RIGHT
to receive package.

PACKAGE
OF ONE

TWO QUARTERS ONLY.-
.Ko!iW\-.3-tiu.iriefnOG'ETHER
and insert in slot-
TU8N HANDLE TO RIGHT
loi'cccive package.

USE 2 QUARTERS
BACK TO BACK

HARD

STEEL

fcu wmr JO /

F»R*T f

play

MAKES A LITTLE
GO A LONG WAY!

A DEVICE DESIGNED
TO PROLONG MALE
CLIMAX WHILE STIMU^
..JATIKG HEHIWTffE' '
RIGHTPLACE!

CA/^Pe^'f

- Operates on •
Twn.niiflnTFRsnNLY

’»%r;

How does a pudgy Messiah
with only a diaper for
defense find out the
source of evil on earth?

mil II iM.,1*.

Possession... Naked and
defenseless, Bob uses his
only weapon and takes
possession of the first
character he sees, a worker.

Bob, recognizable by the halo,
realizes that the worker does not
have security access to leave the
room. So to cause a commotion,
"Bob” lowers a 5>ton tank on
unsuspecting worker.

Then he can possess the
medic sent in to aid the
crushed worker, medics
have security access.

Now through a warehouse Dumping the medics body. Cops also have laser While being scanned at the

door. Bob still needs access Bob realizes that Cops have sighted GUNS! door Bob attracts some

to the lab where he believes access to the lab. How heavenly! unwanted attention,

he'll find some answers.

After seeing the awe*
some power displayed
by the behemoth, who
needs a cop. Bob takes
possession of the
Behemoth and is ready
to KICK SOME ASS!

property of their respect

"What will revolutionize the
gaming world... is Messiah's
unique style and more than
a little disturbing gameplay."

- PC Accelerator

"It's this act (possession] of not just taking on a body,
but an actual character that makes the game so unique
' Core Magazine

"'Making of Messiah

BY MAIL. SEE BOX FOR DETAILS.

"The only thing that people
be talking about next year is
how nothing compares to
Messiah." - game Pro

50 enemies. 33 levels. 25 weapons, 4 time-warped worlds. 2 deadly sidekicks. Everything to feed an appetite -for destruction and
So don't get too used to your weapon, your enemy or even your notion of time. Once you do, you're bound to awake in a whole,

Ion Storm. Daikatana. Hire Miyamoto, Supeifly Johnson. andMIkiko Ebihata are trademaks of Ion Storm, LP.(e) 1997-1999 Ion Storm. LP. Bdos Interactive is a registered trademark ol Eidos, PLC(R) 1999 Eldos. Sdlx Interactive enc

evoke sheer terror amon^a -few ill-fated network friends. Just remember, this is a place stalked not only by creatures but by change
new world filled with horrors even more unimaginable than in the one before. WWW.DAIKATANA.COM

llx Interactive logo are trademarks of 3<llx Interactive. Inc. In the USA and other select counlties. The ratings Icon is a trademark ol the Interactive Digital SoftwareAssodatlon. All rights reserved.

Suspect everyone.
Trust no one.

, .

;

N ' - ' ‘i -i I'i

Ij’l'n'iiii'

! ....

IDOS

0 la 7 ^ W©-'

For a clp^Jook go to eidos.com

111

■ , Darkness falls over the city. Not the kind

f #■ darknaffl that wmea with the absence of
m light, but rather the absence of good. And
W while many prepare to naively celebrate the
f . new millennium, a small mysterious cult,
known as "The Fallen", prepares to fulfill the
TiaTk promise of an evil prophecy. Yet, left
Ending between these "Fallen" ones is a rookie
Ct^ and a disillusioned ex-cop.

One, woman." one man^MM||
, ■ H,Vone goai.i.'i.sur.yiy^

• Play 1 of 2

main characters -

D'arci Stern - an agile,

street-savvy female cop or

Roper McIntyre - a mysterious ex-soldier. B

• Multiple modes of combat. Engage in hand-to-
hand fighting, heavy-weaponry facS-offs,
vehicle chases and building shoot-outs.

• Command a variety of vehicles. Take control
of police cars, vans, motor-bikes, hang-
gliders, ambulances, trains and helicopters.

• 3D volumetric fog, rain, snow, night and day
simulation, wall-hugging shadows’ and real- '

R^^asimulaton of crashes enhance the
aimesn!^S§fteHac.t4on of the game. '

^ Make sure each side of the
crown has a smooth, curved indent.

:#^^High altitude JbrJdgerhopnTng^

r’*' V

irs^rMTne shaft wind shear:

From the mountains of Kazakhstan to the ruins of the Oimecs. It's 17 chapters

i(^^se^^;iJigcfU''tterlSlh6r(zaHon.

Raging H^O soalct

For Windows 95/98

^ Never, under any circumsfances, fum the
brim up. Remerhber, you want to look like o

of epic, blood-pumping adventure

, C-

/I.

NVIDIA GeFORCE 256 can show,
you the time o

" ' nil

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DAIKATANA“

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■ ■ '#■ ■

■ l-W- ; t-

ANACHRONOX^

THIEF 11:

THE METAL AGE '

eidos.com

;2VIDIA,.

CGMRUTEK

WORLD

COVER STORY

Beat the Best
New Games 60

Getting whuped by your games? No one pushes
our readers around! (Except us.) Repeat this mantra: read,
win, repeat. Well show you how to kick the crap out of all
these great games:

Age of Empires II: Age of Kings

Age of Wonders

Homeworld

Quake ill

Panzer Elite

Panzer General 3D Assault

Rogue Spear
System Shock 2
Unreal Tournament

PREVIEWS

Star Trek Deep Space 9: The Fallen
Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force

After Streetwalker, Star Trek may be the oldest license around. But wait!
These two games utilize the UNREAL TOURNAMENT and QUAKE 111: ARENA
engines, and they could be the long-awaited “great" Trek games that will
make even those without facial hair and Federation t-shirts beam down
for a closer look 48

Thief Z

Looking Glass ups the ante on its innovative "first-person sneaker” with
THIEF 2: THE METAL AGE, an even more in-depth crash course on 19th-
century burglary 52

COMPUTER GAMING l/VDRLD • eg w . g a m e s p o t . co m • FEBRUARY 2000

A Baldur’s Gate™ Engine Adventure beneath the Spine of the World
www.interplay.com/icewind

Duii geons&.Drag ons'

Icewind Dale: ©1999 Interplay Productions. All Rights Reserved. Bioware Infinity Engine ©1998 Bioware Corp. All Rights Reserved. Icewind Dale, FORGOTTEN REALMS, the FORGOTTEN REALMS
logo, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, the AD&D logo, TSR and the TSR logo are trademarks of TSR, Inc., a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and are used by Interplay under license. Black
Isle Studios and the Black Isle Studios logo are trademarks of Interplay Productions. The BioWare Infinity Engine logo is a trademark of BloWare Corp. Exclusively licensed and distributed by Interplay
Productions. Ail other trademarks and copyrights are proper^ of their respective owners.

READ.ME

AGE OF EMPIRES II:
AGE OF KINGS

• Unreal Tournament

• Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

• Armored Fist 3

• Dirt Track Racing

• Final Fantasy VIII

• Dungeon Keeper 2

• 1602 A.D.

CBWs nominees for Games of the Year, Richard
"Lord British” Garriott spills the beans on his next
game, an interuiew with Sierra-honcho Daue
Grenowetzki, layoffs af MicroProse.

REVIEWS SI

Unreal Tournament BZ

Ultima IX: Ascension 86

Sim Theme Park 89

Indiana Jones 8c The Infernal

Machine 92

Spec Ops 2 vs. Delta Force 2 96

Half-Life: Opposing Force 100

Wheel of lime 102

FIFA 2000 108

Panzer Elite 110

Jane’s USAF 112

Age of Wonders 122

Pharoah 124

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 vs.

Flight Unlimited 3 128

NBA Live 2000 134

Interstate ‘82 136

Links LS 2000 138

Nocturne 142

Flanker 2.0 144

Silver 146

Revenant 148

MiG Alley 150

Slave Zero 116

Quick Hit Reviews 152

Diplomacy, Grand Theft Auto 2, Pandora’s Box, NFL Blitz 2000,
Operational Art of War II: Flashpoint Kosovo, Axis & Allies: Iron Blitz,
Napoleon 1813

1 HfflRDWnRE

156 1

Time to Upgrade? choosing the right
motherboard chipset and memory.

Killer Rigs

160

Loyd Case Loyd damns dumb design

162

Tech Medics Technical help in troubled times

164

Hardware Reviews

Cordless Wheel Mouse

157

Logitech Cordless MouseMan Wheel

157

Hammerhead FX Gamepad 158

Diamond USB Network Kit 158

3Com Home Ethernet Kit 159

Saitek RlOO Wheel 159

■ilH 166 1

Action Thierry Nguyen

166

Strategy Robert Coffey

167

Simulations Gordon Berg

168

Sports George Jones

169

Adventure/RPG Dessiock

170

■departments

George Jones The trouble with saved games

Letters Send lawyers, guns, and money

Advertiser Index

174

Grocnspeak Exhibit A; Why Jeff is a hopeless nincompoop. .

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

igw.gamespoi.i

• FEBRUARY 2000

T BOARDderelictvesselsandrepair
them to add to your neat.

< DESTROY your enemy with phasers. photon
torpedos. or over 30 special weapons.

TM, ®. & 02000 Paramount Picluius. All rlphts reserved. Star trek and related marks are trademarks of Paramount
Pictures.Actinsler) is a registered trademark of Activision. Inc. The ratings iKmisatrademarkoflhalnteracttve Digital
Snltwan! Association. All other trademarks and trade names nre die properdes of their respective owners.

' A BOMBARD your enemies with
long-range weaponry.

A ASSIMILATEenemyvessetsanduse
their own ships against them.

AcliVisioN.

-4 BUILD Slarbases to harvest re
construct your Armada.

> ELUDE your enemy by using one of the five
kinds of nebulas to conceal your forces.

▼ EXPERIENCE REVOLLTTiONARY EFFECTS. A real 30
engine showcases the cinematic action of your 30+ starships.

.09 ;

A DEFEND EARTH in an all out battle for survival as a net
insidious Borg threat unfolds in 20 acb'on-patked missions.

▼ REINFORCEyourArmadausingwormholes
to traverse vast distances in mete seconds.

COIMTROL

THE

RACES

COIVTROL THE EiALAXY.

FOUR RACES.

ONE GALAXY.
ENDLESS STRATEGY.

War rages across the Alpha Quadrant
as you command four powerful races in
a strategic struggle for survival. IVho
will live? Who will be assimilated? The
future depends an your every decision.
IMo one said leadership would be easy.

Available on PC CD-ROM

p^SSessioN AW

lotroduclog o /renettcQffy paced, ulsuwl/y'Stunolgg^Qction rt^
*l'i I ■ , sierra studios and ffassiu^ AntextalnnoeDf^

COMING IN IO€X>

UHjuuj.slerrostucJlos.corn

© 1999 Sierra On-Line Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sierra, Sierra Studios and Ground Control are Trademarks of Sierra On-Line, Inc.
The Massive Entertainment logo is a trademark of Massive Entertainment AB.

1 ■ r j}

'my''

t. A. ?>r«VCHOTROMCS ASS(KIAT10N

•k'k’kir-kk-kir'ir-k

* CONFIDENTIAL *

I. *** SUPER-TERRORISM AND THE

MANIPULATION OF THE HUMAN SPECIES .

I. Since the 1990 's, technology available to terrorists has improved,
the scope of their destruction has expanded. SSBBRSMiMaQUfi&SSBBUBsc

Some say it's merely the latest conspiracy fueled by
a madman. And some say it's a future training tool made to
look like a hyperrealistic 3-D roleplaying computer game.
Whatever it is, proceed with caution. They know you want it.

has made an already chaotic world situation even worse.
According a report by the Federal Disease Control Center,
it is the Wgrrst vir us since AIDS. It is not yet known what
compounds make up this deadly virus, but curre nt data shows
are likely candidates . ^^mbrosi^ the virus'
stabilizer, has been linked to VersaLif e . ■WHat is significant
about the number 12? Does UNATCO maintain control over Ambrosia
distribution? can only mean www.unatco.com.

^**body enhancements***

• Jump Fsrther! Hun Silently! See in the Oarki
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• 20 Augmentations to Choose From!

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Ihrough the gift of science and technology YOU can now GENETICALLY
MODIFY YOUR BODY to cope with the everyday demands of espionage and
iinli-lorrorist activities!

Deus &i, ION Storm names and logos ai'
logo are registered trademarks of Eldos

Bionic Augmentation, NaWotechnology and You!

Fig. 2.2

25 wsapoh types hiovin.

Fig. 2.1

Travel through New York to Hong Kong

Fig. 2.6 Advanced AI and r?o/ji'ersa</or: systems.
These people are real!

III. J.C Den'bon is a powerful, nano-augmented agent for an
[anti-terrori s-t organization.! Little is known about this person,
but it seems that he is on a mission. JPUnPXHMBMBJmaaUagBPCC .

He works for UNAtTCO but what side he is working for is
inconclusive at the moment. XSStSCXStSU&tX

XKXSUDBBXlKXX Can he be the on
from [complete annihilation? |

to save this world

* * * *URGENT* ** *

M06-M09: Get augmentation:

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Subdermal (2}
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aUESTION CVEHYTHiea. //

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visit the kingdom of tzan at www.talonsoft.com
avaiLxBle spuing 2000

Massive armies storm the castle

Check it out at your local retailer, www.talonsori.com or call ) -800*21 1-6504
'^Copyright 1 999 by TalonSoft Inc. All rights reserved. TalonSoft”' Is a registered
trademark of TalonSoft Inc. TalonSoft Is a subsldlaiy of Take-lWo Interactive Softw.tre Inc.

We ]VIake History" 10,™

Ships of war destroy enemy fortress

Wizard thwarts dragon attack

coMf*JTmm

GAMING

WORLD

lEBRUARV 2000
ISSUE 187
cgw.gamespotceni

LEE UMACKE<l«.uniaciie92d.com

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ROGER DRAKE

HOW TO CONDIDT THE EDITORS

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RUSSEU 9RE

EDITORIAL

Losing by Saving

H as computa- gaming suffaed irreversibly because of the
save game? I found myself asking this question recently
after spending 25 minutes watchuig Chris, our managing
editor, play his way to a high score in Galaga on our classic arcade
game emulator. After his game ended, 1 wondered why I had been
so riveted to his game, and the ajiswer was obvious: I was procras-
tinating. But tliis question triggered another thought. Part of the
reasoji I was watching was because at any point durmg his bid for
digital immortality, Chris could have choked and lost everything—
the double-fire power, the high score, and the Galaga greatness.

There aren't any save mechanisms in arcade
games, which can make for a greater sense of
accomplishment.

Aside from sports games and multiplayer con-
tests, this kind of hugely dramatic moment
seems harder and harder to come by in PC
gaming. 1 wonder if we're spoiled when it
comes to the ability to save our games. Take,
for example, one of the hints included with
ULTIMA ASCENSION, "Save often." the tip says.
"Brittania is a dangerous place." That it is. But
by saving every four minutes, don't we nullify

W Gaming death is cheap and mean-
ingless, rather than a poTAierful motiva-
tor and source of emotional tension.

some of the tlirill and sense of accomplishment of playing the
game? It seems that game designers are designing their games
around the save-die-reload-repeat process, creating situations
where the only way to succeed is to die over and over, reloading
the same saved game agaui and again. Gaming death is cheap and
meaningless, rather than a powerful motivator and source of emo-
tional tension.

Hey, I'll be the first to admit that we'd ding a computer game
that didn't allow us to save our game at any point. And while I
understand the reasoning— like a book or a movie, you want to be
able to leave your game at any point, and return to the exact same
place— I've begun to fear that, over the long run, this expectation is
hurting gaming. (Yes, there's an easy answer; Save your game less
often. Tltis is akin to asking the Fox Network to stop airing shows
like When Vegetables Attack.)

Maybe there's a new solution tliat sits somewhere between sav-
ing and not saving. Like rewarding the ganger who saves less fre-
quently, or punishing the gamer who saves more frequently. Maybe
death can be less final and fatal so that when you die in a game,
it's emotionally devastating, but not so devastating m terms of
gameplay. Or perhaps true gaming death can be made harder to
come by, depending on what you've previously accomplished in the
game.. .kind of like those pop-ups that miraculously save your ball
from gomg clown the side chutes in pinball.

A climactic, save-the-world-or-lose-everything moment loses
some of its tension when it stops being a moment and becomes
several moments, punctuated by frequent quicksaving.

CTTMPUTER GARAIN6 WORLD • c gw . ga me i f o t . e o m • FEBRUARY 2 0 0 0

tuncferoirthoriiy I

Free internet multiplayer support allows
you to race against your friends

1024x768 Glide or D3D graphics bring
the racing action into sharp detail

More real traCkS
cars, aad drivers.

3D positional sound allows you to hear
your opponent attempting to pass

All 28 tracks have been updated to
reflect the 1999 NASCAR® season

www.papy.com

www.NASCAR.com

www.sierrasports.com

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Soldier of Fortune® ® 1999 Activision, Inc. Developed by Raven Software Corporation. Published and distributed by Activision. Inc. Activision® Is a registered trademark
of Activision, Inc. Soldierof Fortune® is a registered trademark of Omega Group. Ltd. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software. Inc. ('Id
Technology*). Id Technology ® 1997 Id Software. Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

'As one Great Furnace flam’d, yet from th ose flames

li.

Utilizes

No ligKt but ratber darkness visible’

“Paradise Lost

Hi:

, ■ ^

■ ■ f 'I -S

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Jif:

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n enKanced version of the Unreal Tournament engine.

J^. J- ji

D''-:r'-P iSPAC'' riif''

a MILLENNIUM chronicle

Coming Spring 2000

UlTIMA Aggravation

T hank you for exposing the facts about ULTIMA 9: It does not work, it’s not fin-
ished, and Origin isn’t winning ray vote. I’li wait and see in about two or three
months if they have finished the game. As I see it, the CD demo was an “alpha," the
boxed CD is somewhere close to a “beta,” and anyone who paid cash was ripped off.

Most games come out with a few “bugs," and it’s darn near impossible to be even 95
percent ‘‘bug-free" (just big stuff like crashing), but it seems like some companies just
don’t learn. Too many teams are held hostage to the publisher, who owns the rights and
pays the bills. The result: a too-early release due to “fiscal” concerns. How long will the
public take it? I know that I personally am FED UP!

Denny Figuerres

After being sued over ULTIMA OM.J1VE, we thought Origin would make sure UA ran smoothly. Unfortunately, it does
seem unfinished. We had problems just installing it, let alone getting it to run. See our review on page 86.

Confessions of a Pokemon

Are We Living Room Bound?

I t was great to see in your January 2000 issue several
positive references to Pokemon, the Garaeboy game. I
know this had to be a hard opinion to go public with, see-
ing as how the only thing easier to bash these days is Jar-
Jar Sinks. I’m closer to 40 years of age than to 30, 1 wear a
white shirt and a tie to work, and I am an after-hours
Pokemon junkie. I bought a second Gameboy as well as
the Red, Blue, and Yellow versions so that I'd always have
a trading partner.

You're right— the game is amazingly addictive. Last
weekend. I almost bought a Nintendo 64 just to play
Pokemon Snap. Thank you for affirming my addiction. I
may be a Pokemon loser, but at least I know I'm not alone!

John Coppersmith

Actually, the ranks of Pokemon losers grows ever
stronger. In late November, the top two selling PC games
were Pokemon Blue and Red. We were even thinking
about doing a Pokemon special issue, until the following
letter gave us a better idea.

And GOD Gave to Gamers: Girls

I was more than a little shocked and disappointed
when I received the latest issue of CGW with the
Gathering of Developers "Girls and Games" calendar. I am
a big fan of computer games and a very big fan of curva-
ceous females. However, I have no desire to have these
two interests combined and forced upon me. I do not recall
paying for a subscription to “PlayGamer."

So here’s to games and here's to girls, but please let me
be the one to decide when and how to combine them.

Spencer Grey

Several people wrote to tel! us that they don’t like
cheesecake served with their gaming fare. We respect
that, but we also like your PlayGamer idea, so we're pretty
sure this problem will solve itself.

$7/Hour Gameplay

I just finished OPPOSING FORCE. It was truly full of
gaming goodness! Lots of fun. great story. But I live in
Canada, where the game is between S45 and S55. That
much money for seven hours of gameplay, plus some extra
multiplayer maps, is a rip-off. Is Sierra in that much finan-
cial trouble that they have to soak customers by charging
more for this add-on than it costs to buy the actual game?

Catseye

I 'm responding to the Read.Me article from the
December 1999 issue entitled “X marks the Box,” in

which the writer previewing the new gaming consoles
asks, "Are we really living room bound?" He suggests that
since PC monitors have such a higher resolution than TVs,
it doesn't seem likely.

But what’s going to happen in a few years when HDTV
is pumped into our homes on huge 64-inch, 16:9 aspect-
ratio screens? Our homes are going to become home the-
aters. When that happens, will we still be content to sit in
front of our desktops when we can be totally immersed?

Brian A. Mercer
Seattle, Washington

You make a good point, hut a lot of games don't lend
themselves to playing in the living room. Aside from that,
when our significant others and kids are glued to the
HDTV screen, we’U be glad to have our PCs back again.

This Month’s Soapbox Letter

I really like the issue about AGE of Empires
2— my personal favorite game series. But I

must say that it will probably be the last game that
I buy for my PC for a long time. I have a "dream
system," a Hewlett Packard Pentium-in 500MHz
with 128MB RAM and an Nvidia 32MB video card.
This is more than adequate to play any PC game
on the market. But I just bought MOTOCROSS
MADNESS and it freezes after about 10 minutes of
play. MECHWARRIOR III plays great, then the
screen craps out with horizontal lines. This has
gone on for years, and it hasn’t really gotten bet-
ter. Screw that "did you load the latest drivers" BS.
I JUST WANT IT TO WORK. I don’t have the
time— I barely find time to play the games, much
less putz with my system to get these things to
work. PCs have to be as foolproof as TVs or... game
consoles!

Tills year will be a Dreamcast Christmas in my
house.

Dean Chiiini
San Antonio, TX

COMPUTER OAMINC WORLD • cgw. garni

• fERRUARY 20D0

Cai) Vuli Coiifral ffie Beast Ulitfiio?

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— Official E3 Game Critics Award

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Live as a vampire, feeding on human prey while
struggling to maintain your humanity.

Survive over 800 years — from medieval Prague to a
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Build your own thrilling online adventure with a unique
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So if you think you're ready to tame the new frontier, then reach
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WILD WILD V^^ST ©1 999 Warner Bros.

Read.Me

The Latest News From Around the Computer Gaming Worid edited by jeff_green(gzcl.com

CGW Premier Aw«

A t this writing, it is 17 days until the end of the millennium. If the
world actually ends, and no one but a few radioactive bugs end up
reading this, then we can at least take solace in the fact that comput-
er gaming went out not with a wliimper, but with a bang. More great
games were released in 1999 tlian in any year in recent memory,
making it an embarrassment of riches for gamers, and a real pain-in-the-neck for
your humble CGW editors, who are faced with the unenviable task of having to
pick and choose the year’s best.

Tliis was a year in which no single game dominated the world like HALF-LIFE
did in 1998, but which nevertheless saw more original and exciting titles than
any nonnal person who actually talks to other humans would ever have time to
play. In virtually every genre (with the notable exception of the moribund
Adventure genre), we had more candidates than we had room for. If you don’t
see your favorite game listed below, chances are it probably just missed the cut.
Or else you have really bad taste. That was a joke.

This was also a year of great surprises. Games that we had not much hope for
at all— OUTCAST, FREE.SPACE 2, even UNREAL TOURNAMENT— turned out to be
awesome experiences. Each are strong contenders in their categories, and are
easily among the best games of tlie year. On the other hand, some high-profile
games that we were really anticipating turned out to be utter bombs— PRINCE OF
PERSIA 3D and INTERSTATE 82 come to mind. We were holding a spot in the RPG-
of-Uie-Year category for ULTIMA IX: ASCENSION until the last minute, but the
boxed release was so buggy that we inunediately disqualified it (see our review
in this issue). No game that ships in this state deserves any kind of award—
except the negative kind.

Finally, tills was a year in which multiplayer gaming really came into its own.
Many of the candidates here in different categories are either multiplayer only, or
emphasize multiplayer over the single-player experience. While we will always
be looking for good single-player games, the multiplayer trend is still very excit-

Action Game of tfirVesrr

Battlezone II lAcItvtsionl
Quake 3; Arena lid Software!

Rogue Speai (Red Storm'

S.WA.T.aiSierrai

Unreal Toutnameni iGT Interactive!

Aitventure Game df^erVear**^’

Gabriel Knight 3 iSieiial
Outcastiinfogrames!

Age Of Empires II: The Age of Kings iMicrosoft!
EverQuest 1989 Studios!

Quake 3: Arena nd Software!

Team FortressiSieria!

Unreal Tournament iGT Inteiaclive'

f^zzTe/aassic Game of the Year 1

Chessmaster 7000 iMindscape!

Fantastic Journey lEmpiie!

Mind Gym iSimon & Schuster!

Pandora's Box iMicrosoft!

ISacinnSameottlieTear 1

Midtown Madness (Microsoft!

Need For Speed: High Stakes lEA Sports!

Star Wars Episode One: Racer iLucasArls!
Re*VQltiAcclaiiTii

Superbike World Championship lEA Sports!

Asheron's Call (Microsoft'

EverQuest (989 Studios:

Might and Magic VII i3D0‘

Planescape: Torment (Interplay!

System Shock 2 (Looking Glass/Electronic Arts!

ISri-nSjninttheYnar 1

Freespace 2 (Interplay!

Heavy Gear I) lActivision'

Mechwartior3 (Microprose/Hasbro)

X-Wing Alliance (LucasArls!

[ Sim of the Year I

Apache Havoc iEmpite!

Flight Unlimited 3 (Looking Glass-
Jane's F/A-18 (Electronic Arts!

Jane's USAF (Electronic Arts!

MiG Alley (Empiie-

[ Stratqpf Game of the Year ~ 1

Age Of Empires II: The Age Of Kings (Microsoft!
Alpha Centauri iFiraxis!

Dungeon Keeper II iBulltrog/EA)

Homewoild (Sierra!

Jagged Alliance 2 iSir-Tech Canada/TalonSoft!

High Heat 2000 (3D0!

Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge (Activision!
Madden Football 2000 lEA Sports!

NBA Live 2000 iEA Sports!

NFL Fever 2000 (Microsoft!

Watgame of

Battle of Britain iTalonSoft!

Close Combat IV: Battle of the Bulge iSSl!

The Op Art of War Volume II: 1956-2000 iTalonSoft!
Panzer General 3D Assault iSSi!

Sid Meier’s Antietam! iFiraxis!

rtenUARy zooa • egw.gameseot.eam • COMPUTER SAMINe WORLD

rd Nominees

5, 10, 15 Years Ago in CBW

February 19B5

Things we don't miss
about the old days:
the graphics, copy-protection, floppy
disks. The thing we miss the most the
variety of games available. Since games
were still largely labors of love— and
didn't cost a million bucks to build-
designers took lots of risks, resulting in
an amazing variety of titles on obscure
subjects. Take RAM!, “a realistic game of
ship-to-ship combat in the

Peloponnesian War," for instance. Or
CAVEMAN, an adventure game in which
you played a Neanderthal.There was
SQUIRE, the game of Ttnancial planning,
and the thrilling, chilling TRAIN
DISPATCHER. Not all the games were for
everyone, but there was a game for
everyone.

February 1990

CD-ROM is what
everyone was talking
at 1989 Winter
Consumer Electronics Show. There
were no CD-ROM games yet, but
everyone had big plans for the tech-

nology. Unfortunately, most of those

iiig, especially as the technology for imple-
menting it gets better and faster. In our
minds, anything that gets gamers to interact
with something other than their keyboard
and joystick is a good thing.

What was the Game of tlie Year?
HOMEWORLD? ALPHA CENTAURI? SY.STEM
SHOCK 2? AGE OF EMPIRES II? Will the CGW

editors let their year-long obsession with
HIGH HEAT 2000 carry over into die big cate-
gory itself? Will the 1 1 th-hour landing of the
stunning UNREAL TOURNAMENT carry it to
an upset victory? Be here in 30 days for the
answer to tliis and other questions, as
Computer Gaming World han ds ou t its covet-
ed Premier Awards for 1999. S3I7

plans were pretty bad. Cinemaware
planned to shoot film footage for a
CD-ROM version of IT CAME FROM THE
DESERT that would supposedly create
200 hours of play {they soon went
belly-up). Then there were the interac-
tive soap operas, music videos,
movies.... It was a brave new "multi-
media" world.

Reality Check

The big winner this month: HOMEWORLO, an across-the-board home run with every gaming publication. The
big loser: PRINCE OF PERSIA 3D, a case study in how not to make a sequel. Here's our roundup of 10 recent
games and their corresponding review scores from the major gaming mags and websites. All scores use each
pubs own scoring system. PCSatnef CBH PC Accdaiator Gamespot Gamecenlei

(out of flva) (sill of lOO^lli) (out of Ttvs) (out ol 10) (out of 10) (out of 10)

C&C: Tiberian Sun

73%

7.9

Oisdples: Sacred Lands

1.5

89%

3.5

8.3

ny!

3.5

80%

7.9

Force 21

1.5

90%

6.7

Homeworld

4.5

93%

4.5

8.9

NHL 2000

3.5

89%

9.0

Panzer General 3D

3.5

B0%

7.9

Prince Of Persia 3D

3.5

70«/o

6.0

Rogue Spear

4.5 ’

90%

8.0

Seven kingdoms H

3.5

90%

9.1

* indicates game has not been rated red = editor’?

COMPUTtR BAMIN6 WORLO • egw.ga

February 1995

K would take 5 years
of disasters for the
wrong-headed think-
ing about CD-ROMs to Tilter out.The
last gasp of the interactive movie
came 5 years ago in two horrible fail-
ures: one was THEVORTEX, a cloying
New-Age i-movie created by a guy
who billed himself as the "Stephen
Spielberg of multimedia" (and where
is he nowtl.Then there was JOHNNY
MNEMONIC, an experimental
game/movie that was damn near
unplayable.The lesson: while you can
have games wKh cinematic qualities,
you can't make a game out of cinema.

Read.Me

Hasbro Slashes Workforce, Kills FALCON and
Other Games

The GOOD...

UNREALTOUR^AME^IT

Bad Day at Microprose

H asbro fired 130 software developers and slmt down two of its four

MicroProse studios in December as part of a massive worldwide layoff tliat
included 2,200 employees.

By closing its Chapel Hill, NC, and Alameda, CA, studios, Hasbro temiinated X-
COM GENESIS, MASTER OF MAGIC 11, and add-ons to FALCON 4.0. In a press release
announcing the closures, Hasbro asserts that the brands and traditions that have
made MicroProse an industry legend— minus hardcore flight simulations, a
MicroProse staple since the company's inception— will continue at the Hunt Valley.
MD. studio. The projeas in development there, GUNSHIP 111 and X-COM ALLIANCE
and their respective teams, were unaffected by the layoffs. Hasbro also said it will
publish CIVILIZATION III and Ml TANK PLATOON III under the MicroProse brand.

The layoffs hit the teams in Chape! Hill, NC, partiailarly hard. Some of the
employees were recent hires who had "uprooted their lives and movetl 2,000 miles
in the last month just to get a pink slip two weeks before Christmas," said a mem-
ber of the X-COM team.

"The worst thuig for me," said another X-COM member, "is that we don’t know
why. We had a killer game that looked great and was right on schedule, If we
sucked. I'd understand it. But we did everytliing right. I just don’t get it."

Hasbro’s aitbacks follow similar moves at Sierra and Interplay, where several hun-
dred developers have been let go and numerous games cancelled. While softer sales
in the PC market are often blamed, flight siins have been especially hard hit. These
latest cutbacks mark the end of MicroProse's high-end flight sim line, which was
responsible for such famous games as F-15 STRIKE EAGLE. F-19 STEALTH FIGHTER,
and FALCON— the latter two being CGW Hall of Fame winners.

At the Alajiieda offices where the FALCON team worked, one artist found his dis-
missal sadly ironic. "One thing we heard repeatedly over the last year was that
Hasbro was about 'making the world smile.' We're not smiling much around here. "

Well whaddya know. CGWwas underwhelmed at
best by UNREAL, which seemed more like a pretty
engine than an actual game. But UNREAL
TOURNAMENT is
nothing less than
amazing, with
some of the best
most creative
deathmatch levels
we've ever played.

CGWhad been a
"QUAKE house" for
years— it's been
the default death-
match game from
the first release on.

Not anymore. All
hail UNHEAL TOURNAMENT— the New King of first-
person deathmatching,

the BAD...

RED STORM'S CARAMEL CORN It
arrives every Christmas. It looks horrible. Those who
don't know what it is don't even want to look at it
let alone eat it But the big vat of extra-sweet
chocolate-coated caramel popcorn that Red Storm

1 sends is possiblythe
most delicious food
ever created by man

Sierra President Dave Grenewetzki
Discusses Changes, Cancelled Games

Sierra Talks Back

S ierra On-Line's late-September announcement of major organizational
changes, layoffs, and the cancellation of BABYLON 5 and a few other
games created a vocal wave of criticism from gamers and the gaming ,
press— not all of it accurate, according to Sierra. We sat down with Sierra presi- *
dent Dave Grenewetzki and let him tell his side of the story.

Grenewetski corrected us in our report last month that Dynamix had shut |
down. Although there were numerous layoffs, the office is still open, and the
Dynamix name— at this point— still exists as a brand. The teams still in opera- I
tion include those working on the TRIBES franchise, and the 3D ULTRA titles.

As far as the BABYLON 5 cancellation goes, Grenewetzki had this to say: "We ,
know people had their hearts set on this and we did too. But this game was in !
development for so long, and we were considerably farther out than [the devel-
. opment team] wanted to believe. During all the development time the TV show
went off the air, and we were still throwing a lot of money at it. We just didn't
see any way to get to the other end of this— to produce a game good enough to
I satisfy those waiting for it, and to make back what we spent on it,"

I Grenewetzki says the future is still bright for MIDDLE EARTH and other
' Tolkein games. "We are not getting out of the Tolkein business," he said.

"We've done a 'reset' on the design of MIDDLE EARTH. The original team just
wasn’t taking us where we wanted to go. We have one of the seriously cool
■ worldwide licenses here and we want to make sure we do the right thing."

-Jeff Green

or beast It resides in
‘The Bad" this month,
because we are all
sick from eating too
much. And it was
gone in two days.
Next year. Red Storm,
we want two vats.

and the UGLY...

ULTIMA IX Here we go again. Apparently, the
multimillion-dollarclass-action lawsuit filed by
angry consumers for the premature release of
ULTIMA Online was not enough incentive for Origin
to do (he right thing this time. The right thing? That
would be to finish their game before selling it to the
public. ULTIMA
IX's horrid per-
formance and
massive bug
list is an
embarrassment
to the industry,
and a blight on
the name of
this great
series. All
involved should
be ashamed.

FCBRUARV 201

gw.gai

• COMPUTER 6AMIN6 WORIO

ReaUMe

The Latest Heaping Pile of Rumors, Innuendo, and Gossip

Stealth Mode

J ar Jar, say hello to my boomslick. It's not enough that they've
taken over our computers with elves and ores, and caused us
to lose jobs and families to our online EVERQUEST addictions.
Now Verant Interactive is rumored to be making an official Star
Wars massively-multiplayer game. It’s frightening to think how
popular this game could be. Verant has also opened a second
development studio in St. Louis to go along with their head-
quarters in San Diego.

Not to let Verant have all the fun, Hasbro Interactive
and their new acquisition Wizards of the Coast are plan-
ning a massively-multiplayer Dungeons & Dragons game.

Requests for proposals have gone out to various developers
and are being sorted through by Hasbro Interactive. A persiS'
tent-world D&D game could hit the sales chart with a magic mis-
sile. How the recent massive layoffs at Hasbro affect this plan is not
for Sneaky to say, however.

They've been working on the railroad, so now it's time for a
tropical vacation for Poptop, makers of the well-received RAILROAD
Tycoon 2 . Sneaky was picking up his usual monthly shipment of
black-market Havanas when a voice whispered out of the shadows:

"Senor Sneaky, you leesten now.

You know Poptop, no?" I nodded, all ears. "Their next game weel
be called Tropica." This mysterious figure went on to explain that
the game will put players in charge of a banana republic country as
a sort of Fidel Castro-like leader.The game will be a mix of building
and tongue-in-cheek politics. "But what about a RAILROAD TYCOON
3?" I asked. "Maybe.. .maybe," the stranger said and disappeared.

Buried in Eidos' third-quarter financial statement was a mention
that, yes indeedy, they had acquired 51% of Ion Storm.

Impressions is cancelling the Mac port of PHARAOH. They're not
happy with the support that Apple is providing for games, and the
market isn't exactly huge, either.The more things change...
Sneaky understands that in Europe the perception of the
U.S, is formed by Baywatch and Miami Vice re-runs.
Europeans think we strap on a glock and slip a couple com-
bat knives into our boots, just to take out the garbage. Still,
did the Finnish level-designers of MAX PAYNE really need a
couple of armed bodyguards just to check out some aban-
doned buildings on their trip to New York? In their own words,
they had '.'..some close encounters with the natives, curious of the
six strangers visiting their hoods. Thanks to our security personnel,
we managed to gel out of there alive."

MAX PAYNE would be proud of you, boys. Sneaky hopes you
were served milk and cookies on your flight back to Finland.

Got a hot tip to share?Tell it to Mr. Sneaky at sneaky <'‘zd.com.
He's always there for you.

■bidf iime

■ ■ ■ mkim ■■■ Send updates to: cgwpipelin8@zd.coni

American McGee’s Alice Hoquc/EA

04 00

Heed for Sneed: Motor City Electronic Arts

04 99

Alleqlance Microsoft

02 00

Nevenvinter NIahts Interplay

04 00

Anachronoi ion Storm/Edos

02 00

Noi Westwood

0100

1 NEW

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows Of Amn Bioivarc/InteriJlay

03 00

Oni Siinaie

0100

Battle We IV Blue Byte

03 00

Pool Of Radiance II SSI

04 00

Back & White Eft

02 00

Reach for the Stars SSG/SSI

0100

Comanche/Hakun Emgire

02 00

Risina Sun TalonSoft

01 00

Codename: Eaole TalonSoft

0100

Risk II Hasliro

8j««

Conquest: Frontier Wars Diqital Anvil/Microsoft

02 00

Rode GT Interactive

03 00

Crimson Skies Zipper/Microsoft

02 00

Sanitv Monolith

04 99

Dark Reran 2 Activision

gjop

Settlers IV Blue Byte

04 00

Oeus Ex Ion Storm

02 00

Shadow Watch Red Storm Entertainment

0100

Diablo II Blizzard

0100

ShoQun: Total War EA

0100

Duke Nukem Forever 3D Realms

02 00

Sid Meier’s Civilization HI Rraxis/F<ticraProse

04 00

1 NEW

E«l Dead: Ashes 2 Ashes THQ

03 00

Silent Hunter II SSI

0100

i?ft-t0E SuperHornet Interplay

04 99

SimMars Maxis

03 00

Felony Pursuit TKQ

02 00

Soldier of Fortune Raven/Activision

01 00

ci4A(laE. Rnal Fantasy Vlll SnuareEft

0100

Soverelqn Verant/Sony Online Entertainment

04 00

Force Commander lucasArts

otoo

Starlancer Oiqital Anvil/Microsott

01 00

Freelancer Diuital Anvil/Microsott

04 00

Star Trek Armada Actinmon

01 00

Sants: Qtizen Kabute Interplay

0100

Star Trek Vovaqer: Bite Force Activision

02 00

Good & Evil Cavedoq/GT

03 00

Summoner Volition/THO

Sound Control Sierra

01 00

Tachvon: The Ftinqe Novaioaic

01 00

Halo Bunuie

04 00

Team Fortress 2 Valve/Sierra

02 GO

Harpoon 4 SSI

Q2 00

The Sims Maxis

01 00

Heavy Metal F.A.ILK. 2 G.O.O.

02 00

Thief 2; The Metal Aqe Lookinq Glass/Eidos

02 00

Hidden & Danaerous: DevH's Bridqe TalonSoft

0100

Tribes 2

02 00

Kiah Heat 2001 3D0

02 00

Vampire: The Masquerade Hihilistic/Activision

0100

01 00

WarCratt III Blizzard

04 00

Loose Cannon Microsoft

02 00

Warlords: BatUeerv SSG/SSI

8H»

Motorcross Madness 2 Microsoft

Q1 00

Werewolf Dreamforge/ASC Games

Q1 00

COMfUTED 6AUIN6 WQRID • egw.q^

• FEBRUARY 2000

)go ere ail trademarks of karna ac. Oiablo is a trademBrk^HHjH
registered trademark of Davidson and Associates, litc.TffPSR^ ai
d. Ail other trademarks or trade names are the property test

Look for Diablo II in stores near you.

Screen shot courtesy of Blizzard Entertainments

THE

FiBhT EVIL and reap i^our raaarda more aaiFTui^ and
accuraTBLi^ airh rha aana dpi razar aanniBLana .

karna

Order exclusively via

www.aliothermicesuck.com or call toll free
1.877.razerzone (1.877.729.3796)

T h

Prepare to take on the Devil
himself in Diablo" li — sequel to
the monster Action/RPG hit.

But be warned: to face such a
foe, you'll need one hell of a
weapon. Introducing the Rarer'
Boomsiang":

e Better in Battle - Three times
the accuracy of a normal mouse
(1000 dpi and 2000 dpi available)

■ Faster Means Stronger •
Lightning-quick, four-button
control

■ Nimble Precision - On-the-fiy,
adjustable sensitivity

Raze your gaming performance
with the Rarer Boomsiang. ..and
add a powerful new weapon to
your inventory.

boomJ'lang

The mnusE uiixh kiluet insTincxs™.

WWW. aureal.com
www.a3d.com

Because we are known for so much
more than making the world's best 3D audio
technology and the finest audio processor on the
planet, we are proud to announce our official name
change to Aureal Inc. from Aureal Semiconductor.

Prepare for the next level.

StllM Ysg> Ejh"

Htavy G«at* Ouk Cabia image Brir<i«d courtesy ol Activision, Inc. •'1997-1999 Activision, Inc. '1999 Oream Pod 9, Inc, and Target Carnes, AB.

• •’1909 Aureal Inc, Aureal, the Aureal logo, and A3D aretrademarlis and Vorle* is a rejislered trademark ol Aureal Inc, All othertradetnarks ate proneitits ol their respective owners.

CGIflf PROFILE

Read-Nie

The Creator of the ULTIMA Series Talks About His “X” Project

Richard Garriott

1. What's been the biggest change in the game industry since you started?
Richard Garriott: The amount of hard work it takes to make a game versus
the financial return. When I published the ULTIMA prequel AKALABETH in
1980, 1 worked for a few weeks to create a couple thousand lines of BASIC,
which generated a simple 3D dungeon game. That game cost me effectively
nothing to create and sold about 30,000 copies on the Apple II, for which I
received about S5 per copy. If you do the math, $150,000 is not a bad return
for 3 hundred hours of work by a high school kid.

2. Online only? Are you crazy?!?

RG: At first, I thought so too. One great aspect of single-player
games not yet found in online games is that each player has the abil-
ity to play the lead role in the Story. You get to see each and every
feature as if it was created for you and only you, oblivious to the fact
that every other player is thinking the same thing. In online games,
you can travel with all your friends; you can literally live in a constantly
changing world far richer in many ways due to the thousands of other real
people, than one we could create artificially. However, in online games,
everyone cannot play the lead role. Your life is therefore often less
"charmed," which is a basic attraction of fantasy.

So....i believe I have the answer. I believe I have a plan for a bold new
type of online game. A game which embraces the best aspects of single-
player games, yet also shares these experiences with new and future friends
across the globe. My pet name for this new game is the roman numeral "X."
Whatever we call this game, it is the spiritual successor of ULTIMA; thus,
having just released ULTIMA IX, 1 call it X.

3. Now that Ascension is wrapping up the ULTIMA series, how do you feel
embarking on a new game like "X"?

RG: Honestly, I am really quite sad that I can't take time to do everything I
have an interest in doing. I am far from done with my interest in the series.
Yet, 1 also have been waiting years to do something new, to create a new
world and fiction. Still though, for me the new game will be an Ultima, in
that it will be a detailed, immersive, virtual world with a compelling reason
to be there. It will still be an interactive sandbox with lots of things to touch
and play with. It will still have a philosophical basis underpinning the soci-
ety within it.

Honestly, I am also rather scared. I am honored that Electronic Arts and
Origin feel that I am one of the best bets they can make in creating a big
new property, which is a financial holy grail in gaming. And though I have
strong confidence in my skills and dedication to this craft, I have proven that
I can do this only once.. .20 years ago...when there was no competition.

As I have gotten deeper into the new design recently, my confidence has
grown that I am onto something really good. With the new game, I am try-
ing to showcase the far future of games, to really go out on a limb and try
to grab some aspects of what games might be like 20-50 years from now.
Which means this game will be hard to make-another aspect of my work
which can often get my teams into trouble. Wish me luck!

4. "X" is still in the very early stages, obviously. Where do you get your
ideas for it?

RG: i believe there are always way too many good ideas within easy
reach. But, a good individual idea is far from being a complete great
game. How you sort through potential ideas and fill in around initial
key concepts requires a great deal of work and insight. When I am in
the early stages of a game, as i am now with "X," I document and study
the core concepts I am considering. For example, I am reading a great
deal of Buddhism right now, as there is a strong corollary with
Buddhism and the philosophy I am considering for "X."

I have retold the broad game design to many of the
employees at Origin, five at a time, over five-hour dinners in pri-
vate rooms of my favorite restaurants. I find that in retelling the design over
and over again, while watching the body language and listening to their
feedback, it helps me promote as well as subdue design precepts. Plus,
quite frankly, most of the best new ideas come from them! Thus. I get to
gather the best ideas from throughout the company. It's a huge time sink,
and very repetitious for me, but it works well to slowly craft a gem from raw
ideas.

5. What kind of game do you want to play that hasn't been made yet?

RG: I want to plug into the ultimate virtual reality, such as in the movieTotai
Recall. I want the virtual world to be indiscernible from reality. I hope 1 help
make such a game in the future. —Interview by Mark Asher

Tchotchke of the Month

Tchotch-ke (choch'ke). Slang, from Yiddish: a cheap,

► showy trinket.

I t's a history-making day here atTchotchke of
the Month. For the first time ever, we have
been forced to award a tie. Award #1 goes to
. this charming garden gnome, given to us by

CDV Software, a German game company
tjjflRv who wanted us to have

something. ..German. ..no matter
^ how unrelated to theirWWII strate-
' gy game. (Hey, how about a

jsBpnRM bratwurst next time?)

Award #2 goes to this "Who Wants To
Be A Millionaire?" candy bar, with
Regis Philbtn's handsome face adorn-
ing a million dollar bill,
carefully worded with a
"this Is not legal tender"
message, in case there
I was any confusion. A
German garden gnome
or Regis Philbin? Like
you could decidel

COMPUTtR GAMINB VUGRID ‘

> FEBRUARY 2000

ReaiLMe

StarCraft Havas Interactive 5

Baldur’s Gate Interplay 4

Age of Empires II Microsoft 5

StarCraft: Brood VUar Havas Interactive ..5

Quake II Activision

...4.5

Final Fantasy VII Eidos

...4.5

10 Fallout 2 Interniav

...4

Heroes of Might & Magic III 3D0

...4.5

Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri FiraxIs ...

...5

Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear Red Storm

4.5

Command & Conquer: Tibenan Sun ElecIronicArts . ..

4.5

Half-Life: Opposing Force Havas Interactive

4.5

Baldur’s Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast Interplay....

Rollercoaster Tycoon Hasbro Interactive

Need for Speed 4 Electronic Arts

3.5

Gabriel Knight 3 Havas Interactive

Age of Empires: Rise of Rome Microsoft

Might and Magic VII 3D0

Railroad Tycoon II Gathering Of Developers

4.5

WANNA VOTE?

You can’t gripe about the Top 40 if you ion’t vote. Log
on to mvw.oaniesoot.com and scroit down to the COW

Top 40 Pott.

E ach month we take a new poll of your favorite games, and each month
we’re amazed at the consistency of the results. The terrible trio of HALF-
LIFE, STARCRAR, and BALDUR'S GATE continue their reign, and apart
from AGE OF EMPIRES ll-which debuted at number 4-the rest of the Top 10 are
stalwart favorites. After that, the raft of new releases is starting to take hold,
including ROGUE SPEAR, OPPOSING FORCE and UNREAL TOURNAMENT.

Tod Adventure/RPG Games

4.R

2 2 Final Fantasy VII Eidos

4.5

4.H

Top Simulations Games

3 1 Freespace: Silent Threat Interplay

4 5 Wing Commander: Prophecy Gold Electronic Arts.

.,,4

5 4 Heavy Gear II Activision

...4.5

Tod Soorts/Racina Games

Slto 1 - FIFA 2Dnn FA Smrt.^

4.5

■

2 2 Need For Speed: High Stakes Electronic Arts

3 1 FIFA 99 EA Sports

4.5

4 3 NHl 2000 EA Sports

5 4 Midtown Madness Microsoft

Top Strategy/War Games

1 StarCraft Havas Interactive

2 - Age of Empires II: Age of Kings Microsoft ...

3 2 StarCraft: Brood VUar Havas liilernctivc.

3 Heroes Of Might And Magic III 3D0

4 Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Firaxis

FEBRUARY 2000 • c g w . g a m e s p o t .(

COMPUTER GAMING INORLD

Mummies

The Undead.
Ancient Curses

what's a nice 0rl to do?

Meet Lara Croft.
SeauUj, brains and
brawn of Tomb Raider:
The Last Revelation.
Out to save the world

Tom a

won'

tombraider.com

Don't be afraid of the dark.

S omewhere in the darkness
hides a thief. Darting from the
light into the shadows. Trying not
to be seen. Trying to get away
without murder.

In Thief II: The Metal Age/ the
quiet revolution of the first-person
action genre continues. If you
missed out on the original TIrief/
don't let the experience be stolen
from you again.

Thi^r//

THE METAL AGE"

I metalage.com

Ttiicf, Thief IhThe Mer.il Age npid the Looking, Ghss Logo ji n tr.idcm.irks of Looking Glasj Studios S) Looking Glass Studios. !nc. (999. Eldos Interactive is .i registered irndeiiturk of Eidos Pic,
iC)l999 Eidos.AII rights reserved,

COMES FOR EVERYONE. BUT IT WILL BE

WHEN IT COMES FDR YOU. BECAUSE
WORLD, YOU don't STOP LIVING WHEN
ELSE DOES.

NO ESCAPE.

uijil rk
ijuiir ijrHM ij

THIS PLACE OMIKRDN. YOU ARRIVED AS

SOUL. Using someone else's body
else's life. But when they die,

ES IN the body of THE NEXT

TOUCHES YOU.

ONE THING YOU KNOW
ABOUT OMIKRON.

THE ROLE OF UP TO
:RENT CHARACTERS
THROUGH "virtual
REINCARNATION."

Explore a vast

WORLD, RICH WITH
CINEMATIC REALITY.

PUZZLE-SOLVING,
IHDDTING, COMBAT AND
TO WORK THROUGH
STORYLINE.

• ORIGINAL MUSIC AND VIRTUAL CONCERTS
BY David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels.

quanti^

1 ;

assynf

C I N E M A T 1 X “ eidos

© 1999 Eidos Interactive, Ltd. EIDOS, EIDOS INTERACTIVE, and the EIDOS INTERACTIVE LOGO are all registered trademarks of Eidos Interactive, Inc.
and Eidos Interactive, Ltd. ® 1999 Eidos Interactive, Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are tiie properties of their perspective owners.

% are Locke D'Averam, a once proud warrior-prince
executed for failing to perform a ritual sacrifice. 10,000 years
later, you've been resurrected from the dead by a prominent
warlord to rescue his kidnapped daughter.

You are now part of a very special breed of warrior. You are a
revenant. In order to regain full strength, you'll need to practice
the problem-solving ability necessary to unlock forgotten skills.

And though there may be the whole island of Ahkuilon to
explore, and more than 40 monsters to destroy, there's only one
Locke D'Averam. And however you choose to live as Locke, we
think you'll agree-. Life is better the second time around.

Immerse yourself in a gripping storyline involving the future of
the entire world of Ur

9 . Enjoy explosive spell casting effects unparalleled in any other
CRPG game

Extensive NPC interaction enables you to discover who you
once were

% Multiple modes of combat include stealth, hand-to-hand, bow
and weapon

■?, Thousands of 3D animations bring the inhabitants of Ahkuilon,
as well as breathtaking combat moves, to life
Choose from 4 character classes in multi-play mode

Coming back from the dead doesn’t

MEAN BETTER, „

Y Includes

all the tools
YOU need to
make your j
custom /

StarTfek

Two Trek Games That Might Not Be Drek
Games? Set Our Phasers on “Stunned"

By Tom Price

Deep Space 9: The FaDen & Voyager: Elite Force

I have a confession to make: I
don't like Star Trek. Some of
the movies were cool, but the
TV shows based on the license
have always been an insomnia
cure for me.

Star Trek has never contained
enough action to keep me interest-
ed. I mean really, what’s with this
"set phasers to stun” crap? Couple
that with the fact that very few of
the Star Trek-licensed computer
games have been worth playing,
and you might wonder why they're
letting me preview these two action'
oriented Trek games, Here's why;

STAR TREK DEEP SPACE 9; THE
FALLEN and STAR TREK VOYAGER: ELITE FORCE are the
first Star Trek games I've ever been excited to play. Very
excited to play. Built upon the UNREAL TOURNAMENT and
QUAKE III: ARENA engines respectively. THE FALLEN and
ELITE FORCE could be the long-awaited "great” Trek
games that will make trekophobe-gamers like me under-
stand what the hoo-ha is all about.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen

The capsule description of STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE:
THE FALLEN — third-person, action/adventure. Star Trek
universe— could make the toughest game editor's skin
crawl. But “Trek Raider” this is not. The Collective— a
game developer known more for their PlayStation titles — is
utilizing UNREAL TOURNAMENT’S 3D engine to recreate the
interiors of Deep Space 9, as well as various starships and

MIDNIGHT MARAUDER The Grigari
Marauder is one of the races created in-house by the
Collective team that will be making its way into the offi-
cial Star Trek canon.

diverse alien worlds. With the
capabilities of the UT engine. The
Collective has created a dark and
moody Star Trek game that's more
intriguing than the cold, antiseptic
feel of the show's sets.

The plot, based on the first part
of a multi-part DS9 storyline, the
Millennium Saga, will intertwine
threads between the characters
Sisko, Kira, and Worf. You’ll be
searching for three Red Orbs:
ancient relics with amazing powers
that various factions inside (and
outside) the Federation would like
to get their hands on. Gameplay for
each character will be based on
their TV personas. Playing as Worf will involve a lot of
fighting: Kira uses stealth and cunning; and Sisko is a bal-
ance between the two. Each character will follow a sepa-
rate path through each level, occasionally running across
the other characters or working cooperatively with them.

So in one rais-

GEWBE: Actian/AdventurE • RELEASE DATE: Sp rin g , fl

PUBLISHER; Simon & Schuster Interactive

DEVELOPER: The Collective

• sion, you
- might have

Sisko and Worf

stealing an

entrance code
that Kira will

then use to sneak into a hostile base.

Despite the third-person perspective, the game will be
played very much like a first-person shooter, with
mouselook controlling an aiming reticule that floats in front

CDHTflCT: www.collectivBstudios.com

FEBRUAflY 2000 •

' COMPUTER GAMING UVOHLO

PREVIEW

results in being transported into a strange segment of
space cluttered with derelict ships. As a member of Elite
Force, you'll be charged with exploring some of these
ships in search of parts needed to repair Voyager’s warp
core, as well as defending your ship against hostile aliens,
privateers, and other unpleasant sorts.

The starship interiors look really fantastic, due in great
part to QUAKE ni’s ability to render curved surfaces. In
fact. Elite Force uses the engine so well that the game
would seem more like an elaborate mod, if it wasn't for the
innovative AI being developed by Raven. Your squad won't
be capable of following complex commands, but in a fire-
fight they'll cover each other, take cover behind objects,
and fall back when overwhelmed. Some aliens will also
behave in unique ways. The Borg will generally ignore
intruders on their ship until provoked, and will also use
their adaptive technology to render your weapons useless.

Of course, it wouldn't be a first-person shooter without
multiplayer. The justification for being able to frag
Janeway or Seven of Nine in a fight to the death is that it
is taking place on the ship's holodeck. Some more obscure
multiplayer settings— like Sherlock Holmes' London and
the Wild West— might be included among the 30-i- maps.

If the final versions of these titles are as good as they
appear to be shaping up, they could really change atti-
tudes about Star Trek games. Trekkers might start playing
more games and gamers might start wat ching more Trek.
Just what America needs. ..more geeks. ffiCZ

of the character, a
la HERETIC n. The
most immediate
concern I had was
for the camera,
due to the notori-
ously buggy cam-
era engines of
third-person titles.

But the program-
mers at The
Collective seem to
have worked out a
lot of the kiiiks. In
the build we saw,
the camera always
stayed tightly on
the character, allowing for a complete view of enemies and
obstacles. When backed up against a wall, the character
model simply goes transparent. Still, making the control
comfortable and consistent throughout the game is proba-
bly the biggest task facing the developers.

The designers are maintaining a strict adherence to the
Star Trek canon throughout THE FALLEN. Not only are
large areas of the space station DS9 recreated in exact
detail, but so is the entire interior of the USS Defiant, as
well as some altogether new worlds. There are over 30
environments in all. The designers took a lot of inspiration
from the show, and even tried to backwards-engineer
some buildings.

Various races will take roles in THE FALLEN, including
the Bajorans, Cardassians, Jem'Hadar, and more. The
game designers have taken some license with lower forms
of life, and created a slew of beasties and critters to popu-
late the outdoor areas. They’ve even created a new race
that has been officially adopted into the Star Trek uni-
verse: the
Grigari, a
race of bio-
mechanical
killbots.
Overall,

GENRE: Action » RELEASE DATE: Spring , (

PUBLISHER: Activision

DEVELOPER: Raven Software

CONTACT: www.ravensotLcom/elilelorce/ the game is

shaping up

to be quite intriguing. The use of the Unreal engine
seems to be ideal, considering how beautiful (and yet dark
and disturbing) most of the environments are. Action looks
to be pretty fast and furious, again thanks to the UT
engine, but the development of a strong story and the
interesting way it’s being presented is what’s got us itch-
ing to play.

Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force

ELITE FORCE is being developed with the Quake HI:
ARENA engine, so the level of fast-paced shoot-em-up
action should be more intense than anything ever seen on
the Voyager show. Raven software knows a few things
about first-person shooters, being the masterminds behind
such games as SOLDIER OF FORTUNE and HEXEN. Their
straightforward use of the QIII engine makes sense— not
just because it’s one of the best looking engines out there,
but because of its ability to create curved surfaces. The 3D
interiors of the Voyager and other starships look dead-on
like the TV show’s sets, making it easier for gamers and
trekkers alike to suspend their belief.

Over the 30 levels and 8 missions of ELITE FORCE, you’ll
play as Alexander Monroe, who’s not your typically
doomed red-shirt ensign. He’s a member of Elite Force,
Voyager's answer to a SWAT team, who will be called upon
to lead away teams on dangerous missions off and on the
ship. The game opens with Voyager under attack, which

CDUPUTEfl GAMING WORID

igw.gamespol.i

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PREVIEW

Thief 2; The Metal Age

GENRE: Action » RELEASE DATE: Q1 '00
PUBLISHER: Eidos Interactive

DEVELOPER: Looking Glass Studios

Looking Glass’ First-Person-Sneaker Gets More Down-to-Earth

by Thierry Nguyen

W hereas most first-person shooters encourage
you to indulge in murder, one of last year's
best action games promoted a different and
more interesting vice: theft. THIEF: THE DARK PROJECT
was the most original first-person-perspective game last
year, and developer Looking Glass is upping the ante with
Thief 2: the metal age, an even more in-depth crash
course on 19th Century burglary.

Quite a bit has changed since the ending of THIEF.
According to Steve Pearsall, project director for THIEF 2,
"the story unfolds with the Pagans (The Trickster's follow-
ers) in a much weakened state. The Hammerites have
undergone a schism, and so there are now two sects: The
Hammerites and The Mechanists. Besides those main fac-
tions, there are also now a variety of Guilds vying for con-
trol in the city.”

THIEF was focused on the hidden war between the
Hammerites and the Pagans, so with the
Pagans effectively out of the equation, there’s
a more personal tone. Thief 2 starts with
Garrett just wanting to be left alone plying
his trade, but increasing interference from the
city’s sheriff makes him realize the sheriff is
out to get him. Garrett then becomes more of
an investigator, trying to find out why the
sheriff is hassling him so much.

Straying from the supernatural conflict that
irritated quite a few gamers before, THIEF 2 is
more grounded in reality. One of the goals for
THIEF 2 was to make it “thiefier,” focusing
more missions on thief-type activities. Expect
more mansion raids as well as missions
involving framing people, a bank heist, and a
blackmail mission where Garrett must break
into a well-guarded house, find the bedroom,
confront his target with the blackmail materi-
als. get paid, and then get out alive.

While THIEF'S zombies won't totally be
extinct (there's one graveyard mission), ene-
mies will be more believable, with a lot more
humans and fewer monsters. ‘The Metal Age'
subtitle refers to some technological advance-
ments made in the society, so you’ll see some interesting
new non-human opponents based on those. The game
uses a modified version of the SYSTEM SHOCK 2 engine,
and one of the placeholder enemies was that game’s
Protocol Droid — perhaps a model for a steam-driven enemy
automaton? At any rate, there will now be mages firing

fireballs or webs, and those cursed guards (some armed
with torches, now) are back.

Most of Garrett's arsenal will be the same. The team
wants Garrett to be a better thief, not a stronger fighter, so

more strategic planning. One new
of flares, perfect for Oluminating
pitch-black areas or marking trails.
Garrett lost an eye in THIEF, and
the team is playing with a new
mechanical eye that zooms in on
distant sights.

Losing the trappings of the
supernatural and concentrating
more on the Metal Age motif is a
■ good move in my opinion. THIEF 2
is working to refine an already-
. original concept and make it even
: fresher. Aspiring crooks who hate
zombies s hould find it to be worth
the wait, kh'.v

they’re working
on better scout-
ing tools to
allow players to
case joints and to do
item 1 saw was a set

FEBRUARY 2000 • cgw.gi

COMPUTER GAMING WORLO

te[D9(!^!/p]u]s9^

A Division of Electronic Arts'

Environmental

^ A »J* "* ® 1999 Electronic Ans Inc. The Sims, SimCity, Maxis, and the Maxis logo are trademarks or registorod

hv CR'^'ATIV’^* ® trademark and the Environmental Audio logo is a registered trademark of Creative

Technologies Ltd, All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Made in USA,

Visit www.thesims.com

Build. Buy. Live.

Here’s the game that really hits close to home — putting
you in charge of your own simulated people. From
conservative to crazy, customize the personalities, skills
and appearance of your own Sims. Build them anything
from a mansion to a matchbox, furnish their homes and
move them in. Then help your Sims pursue careers,
make friends and get married — or end up a complete
mess. Whether they prosper or perish is up to you.
Once you pay The Sims a visit, you’ll never want to leave.

The

Create and control people!

BUY.COM

Why Buy Anywhere Else.

INTENSE CARRIER OPERATIONS PUT YOU RIGHT ON DECK.
From steam catapault takeoffs to catching the 3-wlre
on a rocking and rolling ship, you'll experience every
aspect of carrier-based flight operations.

BREATHTAKING GRAPHICS PUT YOU IN THE SCENE.
Full weather effects and all-new terrain rendering
even shows glints of sun off your 30 cockpit as you
fly over the North Sea and Northern Russia.

ULTRA-REALISTIC 30 COCKPIT PUTS YOU IN CONTROL.
The fully interactive cockpit gives you point-and-
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most heart-pounding sensation of flying ever.

And

you

thought

on the
green

fairway

was

Animated Violence
Mild Realistic Violence

PLAY to
WIN

essential TIPS
and TACTICS
for essential GAMES

FEBRUARY 2000 « cgw.gi

• COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

STRATEC3IE5

ADMIRABLE FLEET MANAGEMENT 101

Homeworld

lUUriter profile

Greg Fortune is the kind of strategist who goes
not only for mere victory, but for complete anni-
hilation. He's finished all but one or two mis-
sions in both MYTH I and II without any casual-
ties, has amassed the biggest fleet seen in a
HOMEWORLD campaign, and finished the last
mission in HOMEWORLD in under four minutes.
Frankly, he scares us.

I keep hearing rumors of people playing Homeworld using the old
rope-and-click method of unit management (selecting batches of
ships with the mouse). If you find yourself using this highly inferH
or tactic, I hope the following pointers will get you back on the true
h to galactic dominance.

Support Your Troops!

Sure, it’s important to send the right
combination of combat units into battle.

It's also critical to your operations to send
the right supporting units along for the
ride, too.

Adjust for your progress on the lech
tree, but assault fleets (those venturing
away from the Mothership on attack mis-
sions) should carry one or more of the fol-
lowing: repair corvettes, proximity sensors,
cloak generators, and salvage corvettes. If
you have one (or better yet, a captured
one), send a carrier as well. A little prepa-
ration will save you from having to call
reinforcements to the front from your
home fleet.

Weren't You Listening?

Early in the game, you learn a
vital piece of information that
most people forget within the
next two missions; Enemy caph
tal ships are more vulnerable
from above and below. This
means that if you aren’t using
the shift key in battle, you’re
wasting an easy advantage.
Another way to get your ships -
especially capital ships - to flank
enemy units is to switch to the
sphere formation as you attack.
Of course, this will also distribute
units to the sides and front of
your target. Whichever you pre-
fer, make sure to attack from
multiple vectors. Don’t get your
units so separated that they can’t
assist one another, but don’t
attack in a clump on the same
plane as your opponent, either.

Shifting isn't Just for Undenwear

Once you get more than 20 or so fighter-class
ships, it's a good idea to break them into
squadrons of about 15-to-20 ships each.

Assign each squadron its own hotkey, so that
you engage units with fighters as needed. This
tactic also allows you to refuel your fighters in
shifts during long engagements - without deplet-
ing ail of your fighter strength when the juice runs
low.

You can still attack a target with all of your
fighters by selecting multiple hotkeys (using the
shift key), but when you just need to peel off a
handful of fighters, you wo n’t be caught doing
that bad mouse-lasso trick.QSU

COMPUTER CAMING WORLD

:gw.g:

• FEORUARV 2000

STRATEC3IES

DESSLOCK’S QUICK TIPS FOR SHOCKING SUCCESS

System Shock 2

Lean Is Life

Listening to sound
cues and leaning are
the keys to survival
aboard the Von Braun.

You can hear security cameras from far away; as soon as you hear the telltale “whirring”
of a camera, back up and lean. Even if you’re leaning in the direction of a camera when
it’s facing you, you're far less likely to activate it if you lean around a comer, than if you
walk or side-strafe in. You'll then be able to safely pick it off with either a weapon or PSI
blast. Remote electron-tampering is a handy PSI skill that'll quickly shut down alarms
you accidentally triggered.

luVriter profile |

P. Stefan “Desslock" Janicki is CGWs role-play-
ing game columnist and runs his own news site
at desslock.gamespot.com.

Melee Cembat

Playing as a pure PSI character, there will be occasions when you have to
rely on your fisticuffs, since PSI hypos are so rare. Because ammunition is
also rare, melee combat is a good skill for all characters to learn. Prepare for
battle by equipping a BrawnBoast implant (if you have a second implant slot,
use SwiftBoost also), your best weapon (usually the crystal shard, even if it's
not as cool as the laser rapier), and use psychogenic strength if you have that
ability. Robots (other than protocol droids) are good opponents to engage;
just charge up as close as you can get to them and start swinging away. Even
assault robots will find it difficult to get a shot in when they're being bounced
back by your blows. Choosing the cyber-assimilation OS upgrade will allow
you to recover health from these battles.

Pipe-wielding hybrids are easy prey in melee com-
bat when you master this tactic: As soon as you B^T?l3HinV7rm
encounter one, back away until you see it attack with
its exaggerated, looping swing; then charge in and
smack it a couple of times before backing off, until
you see it swing again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Looking for a Few Good Skills

The best way to get your start in SYSTEM SHOCK 2 is to choose a
Navy character, even if you ultimately hope to emphasize PSI or
weapons skills. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to personalize your
character later on, but in the beginning. Navy characters can quickly
get the basic
skills (hacking,
research, and
standard

weapons initially -
and then

READY, SET. ..HACK! Hacking is ati extremely useful si
hack almost everything you need by keeping an
handy, and using the psychogenic cyber affinity
start hacking. Keep a few ICE picks handy for the

repair/maintenance as soon as you have enough cyber-upgrade mod-
ules) that will help all character types. If you must be a pure “PSI-
guy,” choose cryokinesia, kinetic redirection, research, and remote
electron-tampering as your starting skills.

Know Your Enemy

As soon as you spot a floating PSI reaver late in the game, immedi-
ately look for its nearby pod. Enhanced motion-sensitivity is a great
PSI skill to help you spot hiding places for PSI reaver pods and other ^
targets, like eggs and even robotic enemies. Use anti-personnel
ammo against arachnids, psi reavers, monkeys, and hybrids. Armor-
piercing ammo works best against robots, turrets, cyborg midwives,
and those pesky cyborg assassins. Finally, Rumblers are vulnerable
to incendiary grenades.

FEBRUARY 2000 • cgw.gametpot.CDm • COMPUTER CAMING WORLD

STRATEGIES

CLIFFYB GIVES YOU SOME UT TIPS

Unreal Tournament

lOesigner profile

Cliff ‘'CliffyB” Bleszinski was one of the main
level designers for UNREAL TOURNAMENT, and is
now the producer for UNREAL 2.

A s one of Uie designers of UNREAL TOURNAMENT
(UT), I’ve been playing tbe game for quite a white.
I may not the best deathmatcher around, but i'll
definitely give you a run for your money when I meet you
online. Here are a few of my favorite secrets of how I
work my fragging mojo!

Wear Protection

When playing “Codex" in
Free-For-All (FFA), you'll
want to control the shield-
belt (it's in a central location
near the ilak cannon on the
bridge). Make sure to grab it
when you spawn; this goes
for most maps in FFA, as the
shieldbelt is the best
defense in deathmalching,

Architectural Anarchy

In Deathmatch, you need to use the architecture of the level to your advan-
tage. Rrst, make sure you always have cover; always be conscious of how
visible you are to your foes. One good technique is to gel a structure
between you and the guy trying to take you out. You also need to constantly
face any potential areas your foes might come from; learn how to run around
backwards so you can watch your back and avoid getting nailed.

Another way to use the architecture to your advantage is to make sure
you’re always on higher ground. Height is extremely important, especially with
weapons that impart “splash damage" (such as the rocket launcher or flak
grenade). If you're pelting someone below, you not only get to shoot him like
a fish in a barrel, but you can also back up and become a smaller target since
the ledge occludes his view of you.

Tap a movement arrow twice and
you’ll “lunge" in that direction for a
short distance. If you can master dodg-
ing with the lunge then you'll be able to
zip around UT’S maps more often, as
well as get out of the line-of-fire faster
than normal.

Hammer Time

Like most of the guns in UT, the impact hammer is a multi-purpose tool. With
some practice, you can really surprise and pummel your enemies with it. For
example, hold down the fire button, hide in a tight corner, and wait for unsuspect-
ing victims to
stroll by! You can
also "impact
jump" by looking
at the floor and
releasing the fire
button and jump-
ing. Use this tech-
nique to create
shortcuts (like
getting to the
shieldbelt in
Tempest) or to get
hard-to-reach
powerups (like the
damage amplifier
on Turbine),

In my domination maps, I always make sure there're lots of great
camping spots in the rafters near control points. In “Cinder,” there’s a
shieldbelt above the control point in the lava room; you can spray
death on your foes from above while being well-defended!

Another technique that I find to be very useful is called “lift jumping." It works
like this: When you're on a lift that is reaching its apex, jump at the last second
before it stops. You'll keep your vertical momentum and do a super-high jump,
and you can spray your foes with rockets as they unknowingly meander around
below you!

COMPUTER EAMiNG WORLD • eg w.ga me sp d I .cd m « FEBRUARY 2000

STRATEC3IES

THE ART OF DEATH-FROM-ABQVE

Quake III: Arena

|lA/riter profile |

V. Long works over at AMD and parties with the
id guys whenever he can. He is also a rabid
AirSoft-gun nut. He would like to thank John
Cash for dispensing such sage advice.

J ohn Cash, network programmer at id, says the secret to
QUAKE III; ARENA is air power: the fine art of maneuvering
and fighting in flight. After all, why not rain death from
above while you’re in the air, instead of falling down and
turning into just-anotherfrag? Here're our tips on how to
master the vertical dimension In QUAKE ill: ARENA.

Johnny Can Racket

While there are various pads that’ll propel you everywhere, skilled death-
matchers still rely on the ol' fashioned rocket jump at times, Rocket jumpers
can reach places that would be either difficult or impossible for those relying
on the bounce and acceleration pads. Here’s an alternate route to the railgun
platform on “The Longest Yard": Quad-rocket-jump backwards from the red
armor - completely bypassing the acceleration pad that most players use.

Skilled rocket jumpers can also rocket jump off the bounce pads to perform
incredible Evil Knievel-style stunts. Cash advised, “You must get the rocket to
go off as close as possible - but after hitting the acceleration pad - to get the
highest velocity." Believe it or not, on the “The Longest Yard" map, he can rock-
et jump from a bounce pad clear to the floating Quad platform, bypassing the
intermediate bounce pad.

Hit the Ground Turbo-Sliding!

Shotguns for Jousting and Jumping

Remember: Always keep moving,
even when landing after an accelera-
tion-pad assisted jump. Here's how;
When you land, you “stick" (as they
say in gymnastics), so use your direc-
tional keys to keep moving as soon as
you land. For even more speed, hit
your “jump" key while you're sailing
through the air, and hold it down. The
resulting effect is similar to landing on
super-slick ice; You turbo-slide across
the floor until you release your “jump"
key. Be careful not to unintentionally
turbo-slide into a hazard or endless
space. Some of the space maps, like
“The Longest Yard," have curbs in
places, but a nearby rocket blast can
get you sufficiently airborne during
your turbo-slide so that you go sailing
off the edge of the map.

When using facing acceleration pads, switch to the Super Shotgun. Oftentimes
during a frenzied battle, you will collide midair with someone from the other direction
and stick to him. While the two of you are falling, shoot him point-blank, A shotgun
blast at such close range is devastating, and will frequently kill an opponent with
depleted health and armor.

Use the Super Shotgun against other players who are using the acceleration
pads. On the space maps, a
well-timed blast to the oppo-
nent's backside in midflight
may give him that extra oomph
that nudges him past the
intended landing point and into
the empty void of death. The
shotgun is best because its
blast is less likely to be noticed
than the machine gun's repeat-
ed ratatat, the rocket’s
smoke trail, or the rail
slug’s trail.

CLEAN SKATE Jump just before you land. |
and you'll be skating on the ground.

Dress for Success

One underrated powerup is the battlesuit. This provides total irtvui-
nerability to environmental damage for a limited amount of time.
Not only can you swim freely in lava or slime, but rocket splash
damage doesn’t affect you. While you’re wearing the battlesuit, you
can rocket jump to your heart’s content.

r THEE! If you're going to joust with someone in midflight.
shotgun - not the rocket launcher.

F£BRUAny 2000

COMPUTER GAMING UVORLD

STRATEGIES

STAY ON TARGET WITH THESE GUNNERY TIPS

Panzer Elite

IWriter profile |

"General Der Panzertruppen" Marc Dultz is an
avid wargame enthusiast and noted military his-
torian, While he’s never driven a tank into battle,
he does know a thing or two about modern mili-
tary warfare, particularly as it relates to WWn.

W hile there's nothing wrong witii letting your computer-coR'
trolled gunner engage enemy targets, It's a bit more satisfy-
ing to know that you can make a quick and effective kill by
yourself. Unfortunately, your skills are going to be put to Uie test in
actual battle rather than in training, because the manual fails to dis-
cuss some of the intricacies involved in armored combat. To allay
your fears and soften the learning curve, I've put together a short
primer that should help you better understand the inherent differ-
ences between German and American armor.

assume

The Infantry Scourge

It’s never a good idea to send armored units into towns or villages
without proper infantiy support. Armor usually falls victim to
enemy anti-tank teams hiding amongst the rubble. One way to
find out if enemy forces occupy a village is to hold your armor at
bay along the outskirts of town. Next, order a light reconnais-
sance unit (sudi as an armored car or jeep) into the town square,
if it draws fire, you’ve got your answer.

Through a Looking Glass

During World War II, German optics were far better than anything the
Allies could field. That’s why the range-finding equipment in the German
tanks feature a magnification mode that enables them to zoom-in on
enemy targets, even from great distances. In the relaxed mode, you
should lay the gun so that the target appears inside the center triangle.

If the tar-
get fills
the trian-
gle, you
can

American Schweinhund!

American tanks are outfitted
with much more simplified sighting
gear than their German counter-
parts. To compensate for this, the
American equipment features
range-finding calibrations. Each
number on the sighting display is
expressed in hundreds of yards, so
a target appearing on the “1 8" line
would be about 1 800 yards away.
Keep in mind that when you're
scouring the battlefield, the dis-
tance to identified targets will be
reported in meters rather than in
yards. For argument’s sake, this
means that a target situated some
600 meters distant is, in reality,
some 333 yards away from your
vehicle.

mately

500 meters away. If it fills up only half the triangle, then the target is
about 1000 meters away. In the expert mode, however, you should train
the gun so that the target is situated above the smaller triangle to the
right of the center triangle. That’s because in expert mode, the spin of
the shell is now being modeled, which typically pulls the shell slightly to
the right as it leaves the firing chamber.

CDUPUTEH GAMING WORLD

iBW.gi

FEBRUARY 2000

STRATEGIES

BE THE BOMB WITH THESE SURE-FIRE DEMOLITIONS

Rogue Spear

[Writer profile |

Raphael Liberatore is a former Army Special
Forces fella and the only CGW freelancer who
can kill with his bare hands. Nowadays, he bal-
ances between playing Mr. Mom and all of these
tactical sira games.

S tudying the map is the first rule of su^
vival when playing flOGUE SPEAR. For
single-player maps, this means spend-
ing a lot of time looking at the planning
screen.

FRAG HOPPING Toss grenades against
walls and floors in order to assault tricky
places. Applying proper angles will insure
well placed detonation. Make sure your
teammates are in position so they can
waste tangos at a moment's notice.

Use the “Recon” tab and walk yourself
through each portion of the mission map; red
icons mean stationary tangos, yellow means
they are patrolling, and white icons are
hostages. For multiplayer games, you need
to play the map over and over again until you
familiarize yourself with the layout (most mul-
tiplayer maps are taken from the tutorial and
the single-player missions anyway). Refer to
last month's issue (# 1 86 ) for more tips on
making the perfect plan.

The Big Bang Theory

Room clearing is the trickiest part of the
action phase in ROGUE SPEAR. Clearing out
an entire nest of tangos without dying is
even trickier. Players often
blitz into areas without
regard for enemy locations
and strengths, and quickly
discover that submachine
guns alone aren't the best
choice for taking on multiple
threats. Thai's why the best
players arm themselves with
heartbeat sensors (HBS)
and frag grenades; these
items are a potent part of
the ROGUE SPEAR arsenal,

V\flTile the HBS is often
overlooked, it’s also one of
the most valuable equip-
ment load-outs in ROGUE
SPEAR. It points out tan-
gos and hostages in the
vicinity (even behind wails
and doors), without your
having to physically recon
the area, thus keeping you
and your teammates out of
danger. Before assaulting
an objective like a building
or a room, check it for tan-
gos by pulling out your
HBS and sweeping
around. Look for magenta

or doorway, There are two room-
clearing methods: using your cur-
rent operative to open the door
and toss the grenade in, or using
your whole team via Action Bar
Orders mode. When using your
current operative, make sure you
move to the side of the door (by
the doorframe and wall) and not
directly in front of it. Next, pull
out a grenade while making sure
your teammates are gathered in
front of the door, with assault

: STEPPER The best way to open doors is
the side. This allows your teammates to
t to whatever is on the other side of the
- like tills hezo - without putting you in
ediaie danger. Make sure you use 3rd-per-
vlew for the best passible area assessment.

(tangos) or white (hostages) circles in the mini-map from your
current operative’s Action Bar; it helps to expand your mini-map
for a better view of the area.

Once you've located a nest of tangos (in a room for
instance), move your troops cautiously to the breech point

Rate-Of-Engagement (ROE)
enabled. Open the door and
then toss the grenade at the
adjacent wall inside. The
grenade should then bounce to
the center of the room, and
incapacitate everything in sight. If you prefer using the
Action Bar Orders mode, then have your team breach the
door while you stand ready to toss the grenade in. If the
room contains hostages, then switch from frag grenades to
flashbangs.

FESRUARV 2000

igw.g:

• COMPUTER GAMING UVORU

STRATEGIES

TIPS TOO GOOD TO LAST

Age of Wonders

[Writer profile

Jason Kapalka reviewed MASTER OF MAGIC
way back in '95 or so, and still has a special
DOS boot-disk to play it. He thinks these
strategies are so cheesy and potent that an
upcoming patch might “correct" them, so
use them while you can!

W hile Microprose debates whether or not to get
started on MASTER OF MAGIC 2, Triumph Studios
has already released the spiritual successor to
the cult favorite with its AGE OF WONDERS. Here’re
some of the more underhanded tactics for use in
exploring the Valley of Wonders.

The Ultimate Warrior

Create a nigh-unstoppable hero
with Life Stealing, Dominate, First
Strike, and Wall Climbing. The Life
Steal-fFirsf Strike combo means
you gel a free shot and bonus
healing every time someone takes
a swing at you. Dominate wilt let
you convert the enemy's best units
to your own side. And Wall
Climbing ensures you’ll never have
to cool your heels outside a
fortress, wailing for those darn bat-
tering rams to arrive.

Cast One, Cet One Free

Here's a slightly sleazy trick you can
pull in Campaign Mode: When you're
nearly done in a scenario, cast a big,
expensive spell (such as Flood, Death
Storm, Summon Dragon, or the
Mastery series) but don't activate it. It
will carry over, ready to launch, info the
next scenario.

BOtzkrieg From Beyond the Grave

If you're playing as the Undead, can get your hands on
the third-level Death magic spell Animate Ruins, and don’t
mind trashing your diplomatic relations, you can race across
the map without a pause and actually increase the size of
your forces as you go. Don't bother converting conquered
cities the usual way - just raze and Animate them, getting a
stack of bonus skeletons in the process. Non-Undead races
with the Animate Ruins spell can try this strategy as well,
but you're in for big trouble if your diplomatic rating with the
Undead ever slips.

Know Your Strikes

Not exactly clear on what the 'Strike' special abilities do? Consult the handy
chart below, and remember, Strike abilities are cumulative, so a unit with three dif-
ferent Strikes will have a chance to inflict all three penalties on every melee target.

Strike Type

Strike Effect

1 Death Strike

Target cursed for 3 days (cannot heal) 1

Holy Strike

Target has Vertigo for 3 days (-2 attack and -2 defense)

1 Cold Strike

Target frozen for 3 turns (cannot act and -2 defense) 1

Fire Strike

Target takes extra fire damage

1 Poison Strike

Target poisoned (all stats lowered) for 3 days 1

Lightning Strike

Target stunned for 1 turn (cannot act and -2 defense)

1 Magic Strike

Hits creatures with physical immunity (elementals, etc.) |

Enemy leader ensconced safely in a fortress and you with no siege
engines? Remember the “adjacent hex” rule, which means that units
in all hexes surrounding the target will be automatically pulled into
combat when it’s initiated, if there's a straggler or two outside the
walls - yet still adjacent to his leader - attack them. The leader’s
stack will be dragged into combat without the benefit of the city walls.

The 280 pages that came with the game not enough for you? Head over to
ww.stratosaroup.com . where the team responsible for the manual has posted
bonus 1 4-page addendum, full of crunchy stats for the hardcore player.

COMPUTER GAMING WORLI

igw.g/

FEBRUARY 200D

First stop on ony mission is the
pre-assault briefing. Here you'll
receive the latest updates on the
current crisis, configure your
team's arsenol, and determine your
entry port and tactical approach to
the target location.

systemoticolly search each envi-
ronmait, or take command to breoch
ond clear each location until you
find your suspect. As the Elen^it
Leodsr, stealth end dynamic tactics
are Just a keystroke away when
commanding your five-men team.

Nox's CREATIVE COMBAT SYSTEM™ lets you...

WesfyiOO^i" * ^ Create Spell Combinations

• Interact with your Environments
WWW westwood com . Choose from Three Styles of Play

ml] eOeru corijer

TOP 10 REASONS
TOPLAYNOX

10. Summon blood
thirsty wolves to
track down your
enemies.

9. Fight against an evil
queen of the undead.

8. Discever destructive
weapons and
powerful spells.

7. Hang out with female
Ogres.

6. Smash people with a
giant stone fist.

5. You get to be
obNuXious!

4. Build the soul
sucking staff of
oblivion.

3. Join your friends in
multiplayer madness.

2. Create your own
diabolical traps.

AND THE NUMBER
1 REASON TO PLAY
NOX...

1. Conquer the land of
Nox wearing only
your underwear! .

"Tfjis is a(( tfie action yoti can ijandle”

STRATEBIES

GUERILLA WARFARE IN THE FEUDAL AGE

Age of Empires If

[Writer profile |

In a past life, Paul Schuytema was a regularCGW
columnist. Now, Paul heads up his own develop-
ment studio, Magic Lantern Playware
( www.mlantern.coml . In addition to FORTS, a 3D
RTS game, Paul is working on the AGE OF
EMPIRES II: AGE OF KINGS Official Scenario
Editing Toolkit, to be published by Sybex.

R ead any tactical Ueatise prepared by the Armed Farces
and you'll come away with one certain nugget of informa-
tion; Superior numbers of superior forces often win the
battle. This is so obvious that is it almost common-sensical;
the real trick is achieving this goal.

In AGE OF KINGS this holds equally true: A larger force of
better troops almost always wins. But there is one little wrinkle
here that we can exploit, if we adjust our “tactical thinking," in
AGE OF KINGS, at a micro level, superior numbers almost
always have the advantage in a melee battle, even over units of
superior strength. The trick then, if you have a lesser force, is
not to think of a conflict as a single battle, but as a multitude of
micro-batfles.

nents, since they won’t be able to deduce what you're up to -
but with some careful planning, you can achieve success
against human opponents as well.

When units are in battle mode - even when controlled by a
human player - their second-by-second actions are controlled
by artificial intelligence. Those A! routines instruct a unit to pay
primary attention to units that are attacking it. Position several
“guerilla" forces of troops at the outskirts of the battle (be sure
to group them for easy control). If you see a line of troops
advancing on your position, send in a light cavalry to attack the
end unit, and then move off towards one of your groups. The
just-attacked enemy will follow its attacker and when it's far
enough away from the main force, select your guerilla force,
attack the unit, and destroy it quickly.

In most cases, you'll have positioned your settlement in a
favorable tactical setting and will have a good idea from where
the attack will come, Use a network of cheap palisade walls and
towers to funnel the enemy forces into your settlement, while
breaking up their ranks. You can also position guard towers on
the perimeter and hide small forces behind them. When an
enemy unit breaks off to attack the tower, finish him off with your
strike force.

Consider the situation of a force of long swordsmen attacking
your town and all you have are a handful of militia. If you send
your whole force to meet the attackers, you'll be cut to ribbons
in no time. On the other hand, if you have four of your militia
attacking a single long swordsmen, odds are, you'll drop the
invader. The superior fighter can only attack a single target at
once, while your militia can deliver four attacks at the same
time.

The real trick, then, is to coordinate a battle (offensive or
defensive) in which you can manage micro battles of multi-
ple friendly units attacking single-enemy units. How do you
do this? It's far easier against computer-controlled oppo-

DON’T NEED NO SCHOOLIN' If you can create a
number of many-against-one encounters, your
uiiderlrained militia units can easily take down
long swordsmen.

these Ion

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
jialisade walls can force your opjjonents to
break ranks. Notice the guerilla militia strike
groups hiding in the nooks and crannies.

Finally, in open-field battles, use an initial full-force meeting to
trigger the enemy Ai, and then retreat your forces in a myriad of
directions, splitting their ranks and guiding the enemy into your
waiting guerilla strike teams.

This tactic works
surprisingly well in
offensive attacks
against AI enemy
fortifications. Use a
number of small
strike forces and
get info the rhythm
of advance-retreat
to draw out single
units from the fortifi-
cation to destroy
them. Done quickly
enough, you can cut
through their force
quicker than they
can replenish it via their military
buildings. Use this type of raid on
enemy villagers working on
resource piles out from the cen-
tral village as well.

This technique requires great
tactical awareness, quick speed,
and a lot of micromanaging. But
once you gel the hang of it, you
can deliver some very potent
strikes on your opponent, and
help to mitigate any disadvan-
tages you might have with a less
superior force.

ALL ALONG THE WATCH TOWER This watch tower was
used to attract the altentiun of the enemy knight.
Before he could make his escape, a force of swords-
men (who were hiding behind the tower) launched
their attack.

In open-field battles, you want to draw opponents out into
the open - notice how this enemy unit was drawn out in a
quick advance-retreat maneuver by a force of swordsmen.
Now, all they have to do is turn and attack, finishing him off
In just a few seconds.

FEBRUARY 2D00

: g w . g a m e s p I

iin • COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

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STRATEGIES

CONCENTRATION IS KEY TO SUCCESSFUL PANZER GENERALING

Panzer General 3D Assault

[Writer profile |

Tim Carter holds a degree in Strategic Planning,
meaning he actually knows how to plan things
strategically. During working hours, he masquer-
ades as the managing editor of Becoveiy maga-
zine, a quarterly publication on medical, legal,
and traffic safety issues arising from automobile

Ranger, Commando, etc.) can mop up just about anything. Pay
careful attention to the relative abilities of your high-level units,
though. My elite infantry, for instance, had only three moves per
turn - but could attack many more times. Thus, it was best to
move them into the heart of the enemy’s defense, and then have
them attack in all directions.

accidents.

Falcon’s Eye

The Not-So-Mighty Luftwaffe

When playing the Germans, 1 didn't find air-
craft to be particularly useful. It’s much harder to
obtain air superiority in PZG3D, and for the most
part I found artillery to be better than bombers at
softening up defensive positions (bombers are
quite useful,
however, at
countering
enemy
attacks
behind your
own lines). If
you keep
your core

group together in a single attacking thrust, it
should be relatively easy to cover it with AD
and AA units. Airpower is much more effec-
tive for the Allies, particularly early in the
campaigns when your ground units will be
badly led and thus slow and inflexible.
However, you may still find it useful to bring
along one or two AD units, as it's easier to
shoot down enem y fight ers from the ground
than from the air.

ONE MIGHTY BLOW

Forget history - at El
Alamein, as in most other
battles, a single thrust with
all your troops is best.

A ll of the PANZER GENERAL games have relied to one degree
or another on combined aims, and PANZER GENERAL 30
(PZG3D) is no exception. Your core force must be a mixed
one, and you must use each unit type property to win at all,
much less win on time.

Perhaps more impor-

tantly, it's crucial to keep
your forces together
when attacking. The com-
puter opponent will
aggressively attack your
flanks, and will also sneak
behind your forces to try
and pick off victory cities.

Don't get distracted.

You absolutely must
keep your forces unified
(especially as the
Germans). While many
scenario maps may seem
to require more than one
axis of attack, most (but
not all) can be dealt with
using a single, over-
whelming thrust. The time you
lose by having to take an indi-
rect path to some objectives will
be more than made up for by
the momentum you gain through
concentrating your forces.

Reconnaissance is also crucial for quick movement over most
maps. Your core force should include one or two recon units,
and you should make good use of the “send out patrols” func-
tion when approaching potential ambushes or defensive posi-
tions. You must know where the enemy is before attacking

them, especially dangerous supporting units like
AA and artillery.

U WORTH THE WAIT This German advance in the

Carolinas may seem to take a circuitous route,
but the overwhelming force it contains will he
sufficient to subdue defending Americans.

Right Mar for the Joh

As you progress through the campaigns, develop a few spe-
cialized units to conduct your most important moves. I prefer to
have a decently-sized force of four-star armor and artillery sur-
rounding an elite group of anti-aircraft, assault infantry, and per-
haps one or two lank units. When approaching a well-defended
city, suppression plus a seven-star Stoeppstrussen unit (or

KEEP IT TIGHT, PEOPLE

retains its cahesiveness.
doubles as Hank protecii
aircraft at bay.

The Big
Guns

As in
past ver-
sions of
PANZER

GENERAL, artillery is the mas-
ter of the battlefield. The new
suppression rules, combined
with the inherent defensive strengths of virtually every unit on
the field, mean that effective attacks must be predicated by
artillery fire (or bombardment if you have aircraft to spare). By
keeping your forces together, you should have enough artille^
to overwhelm even the most heavily-defended positions in a
single turn.

FEBRUARY 2000 • cow-aamespi

iRl • COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE

NOW ON YOUR PC

RARE CARDS

.EVERY GUARDIAN FORCE

.ULTIMATE WEAPONS

HIDDEN QUESTS

TAKE YOUR GAME FURTHER'

■SPECIAL ITEMS

PC game qf t:he year.^^

— MSNBC.cohn

“Hamewarld is an.
epic — epic in its
story, graphics and
presentation. This
homerun baii has yet
to iand.”

. ■ • ■ — CNN.com

Score: S out of

“A groundbreaking title that you
simply must own.”

— CNET Gamecenter.com

Score: SS°la

' "Where C&CS failed,

Homeworld stuns. Where
other games relied on contrived
formula, Homeworld

manages to shine

— , ^ above the crowd.”

' t ' * — Gameover.Gom

Score: S.5 out of

“Relic not only

^ tackled space, but

may have just changed
strategy games forever. Welcome to
the best game of the year.”

— IGN.com

Score: 5 out of 5

“Listen close because I'm not
going to hesitate in the least
when I say Homeworld is
the best game of the year.”

— Cheokout.com

IN STORES

EVERYONE

The Hottest Pre-Ortters

MDK2

"Visually the game is quite stunning;
the lighting and shadow effects are
the most impressive features."

Final Fantasy VIII

"Amazing plot and character
development; great cinematics;
good battle engine."

■ “MajestyTM is a unique sim putting
you in the crushed velvet hotseat of

Soldier ol Fortune

"Plunge into the secret and deadly
world of the modern-day gun-for-hire
in Soldier of Fortune."

Ml#’

Gun Ship

"This is one of the most immersive
games about modern combat in
years."

H “Discover islands, build roads and
houses, trade with the native, con-
queran empire— the age of discovery
is upon us."

Star Trek New Worlds

"It's time to leave the vastness of
space behind and play out your des-
tiny in the biggest land battle."

Boarder Zone

“Boarder Zone is definitely the most
realistic snowboarding video game of
its generation”

Risk II

“Risk II includes virtually every rule
variation and a brand-new ‘simulta-
neous move' mode that's an exciting
new way to play the game."

Fuolva

"Combine equal parts genetic engi-
neering, third-person action and
overhead strategic/tactical gameplay
and this is what you get."

NOK

"Character balance is well-done,
what is even better are the spell
traps and combinations."

Souibrtngcr

"Soulbringer is a new 3D classic
fantasy Adventure RPG in the true
sense of the words."

Diablo 11

“Explore the world of Diablo II, jour-
ney across distant lands, fight new
villains, discover new treasures and
uncover ancient mysteries.”

Amen

"Begin the most dangerous adven-
ture of Bishop Six's life, as he slowly
uncovers the horrible truth behind
this strange affliction..."

Oni

"Lara Croft may have opened the
door for the third-person-perspective
action game, but Konoko, Oni’s hero-
ine, could lead the charge.”

Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Anns

"If you’re ready for the challenge of
true team-based online action, you'l
find it in Team Fortress'^” 2: Brother
hood of Arms.”

I Giants

j "Giants is a 3D real-time strategy
game that takes place on planet con-
I sisting of 30 separate islands."

Dark Reign 2

“Dark Reign 2 will introduce new
, strategic elements, incredible graph-
ics, new RTS enhancements and
spectacular multiplayer gameplay,"

l/ampiro: Tiie Masquerade

I “Based on the popular tabletop role-
playing game, the PC version of
Vampire; The Masquerade offers fans
of the series a true translation.”

Urban Chaos

"Crooks, thieves, terrorists and vio-
; lent cults lurk around every corner. It

I is up to you to enter into the tattered
; remains of this city and bring order."

Planescape Torment

1* HB

"The next epic RPG from the people
who brought you Fallout 2 and
Baldur’s Gate."

Die Hard Trilogy 2

"Try to beat the odds as you match
wits with the meanest, smartest vil-
lains in the most explosive adventure
lohn McClane has ever faced.”

KISS: Psycho Circus

"This upcoming title from Gathering
of Developers inspired by the KISS
legacy, conceived by the imagination
of Todd McFarlane.”

Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2

"Heavy Metal F.A.K.K.2 will blow your
! mind with its immersive story line
and special FX."

.T!:

The Sims

"From Will Wright, the creator of Sim-
City, comes a new strategy game that
hits close to home. It’s up to you to
decide, ..their fate is in your hands.”

NASCAR 2000

"Take your favorite NASCAR cars and
stars and let it rip with fender-to-
fender racing action."

Metal Fatigue

“if you’re a real-time strategy gamer
and this news only gets you vaguely
interested in Metal Fatigue, there IS
something wrong with you.”

Triple Play 2001

“EA Sports’ award-winning Triple Pb
Baseball^'’’ series is back for anothe
big season."

Command a Conquer: Firestorm

"Kane is Dead and a new enemy hat
emerged. You’ve played the biggest
game of 1999, it's time to experiencf
more."

Duke Hukem Forever

"Duke fans, sign on up, this game is
amazing."

Test Drive Cycles

"Put on your leather and helmet
(where the law requires), and
get ready for the ultimate cycle
challenge."

Test Drive le Mans

"The ultimate driving challenge.
And if you feel like staying up all
night, there’s a 24-hour challenge
packed in."

MechWarrior 3: ixoausion Pack

"It’s the best of the best against a
race of genetically perfected war-
riors.”

Sim Themepark

“The Theme park is back in town and
the kids are clamoring at the gates. Tf
only thing is you haven’t built it yet."

BIT Flying Fortress

"The B17 Flying Fortress, alongside th
legendary Avro Lancaster, was the ulti
mate bomber in WWII.”

Hired Guns

"A futuristic, first-person 3D shooter
set in a slick, neon-washed cyberpuni
world."

Age of Wonders

Diplomacy

Flanker 2.0

Grand Theft Auto 2

HaH-Life: Opposing Force

Indiana Jones & the Infernal Machine 3

Interstate ‘82

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000

Napolean 1813

Nocturne

Op. Art of War II: Flashpoint Kosovo 2.5

Pandora’s Box

Panzer Elite

Pharoah

Revenant

Ultima Ascension

Wheel Of Time

you got ()>a RaOct Lsuidtcr.

ambitious design with
major flaws, or just

FEBRUARY REUIEWS

This month’s review section is our biggest in what seems
I like eons, with a hefty 32 games going under the CGIV micro- 1
scope, There are a iot of really good games in that group; two I
5-stars, six 4.5-stars, and four 4-stars, plus a couple huge dis- |
appointments, UNREAL TOURNAMENT has had us addicted
like crackheads on payday, while NOCTURNE and HALF-LIFE:
OPPOSING FORCE have left us fairly cold. The highlight of the |
month has to be watching little kids puke in SiM THEME
PARK, Yes, we’re easily amused,

CGlfU EDITORS’ CHOICE GAMES IN bn =i'l

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

...what they ve done is make
a perfect tribute to the 1980’s; a
mechanical, soulless product, with
more of an eye on making a buck
than on having a good time.

- Jeff Green, reviewing INTERSTATE ‘82.

I SPOTLIGHT REVIEW:
k.; UNREAL TOURNAMENT V

Nocturne

We Review Only Finished Gaines — No Betas, No Patches.

ti-Cs-Ciisii

weak Senously lacking
in play value, poorly con-
ceived, or just anoUier
clone.

Outstanding The rare i
game that gets it all
right A must-play
experience.

Very Good Worthy of
your time and money,
but there are draw-
backs.

Abysmal The rare
game that gets it all
wrong. Pathetic. Coaster
material.

COMPUTER ERMING WORLD '

spot. com • FEBRUARY 2000 I

REVIEW ACTiOIM

UNREAL Finds Its Soul in BlistEring Multiplayer Action

Real Redemption

used to refer to the original UNREAL as “MVST with guns." While It
was perhaps the most beautiful game out there at the time, the
UNREAL world felt empty and soulless. I refer to the new UNREAL
TOURNAMENT (UT) as “STREET FIGHTER
[| with guns." That is, it’s tournament-based,
it has fast and furious gameplay, and
there's a single-player component that,
while competent, is really only there to prepare
you for the multiplayer matches. My fearless
prediction: Just as STREET FIGHTER II set the
pace for arcade fighting games, so UT will
direct the future development of the multiplayer
shooter on the PC.

reviewed by Thierry Nguyen

CGW RATED

• Encellent bot Al;

' five play modes;

• well-designed
weapons, levels,
and interface: bet-
ter DSD and net-
work perfor-
mance; great
overall feel and

CONS

Uoice-command
menu is cumber-
some; unable to
give commands to
hot groups; char-
acter models are
too similar; not
enough maps for
some game types.

GOTTA LOVE THEM FLOATS Same lei
have interesting gimmicks, such as this deathmatch map
where the center of the structure is gravity-free.

Playing With Yourself

The storyline is pure fluff material, of course. All you need to know is
that deathmalching is now a sport, and you can win a trophy. You
enter the deathmatch league, and then progress through an additional
three leagues before winning it all in the Challenge league. At the start
of each league is a tutorial that teaches you the basic concepts
behind each game type. When you finish, you’ll have earned a new
character to play with, filled a nice trophy room, and have 41 matches
under your belt. The matches start off small and slow, but the final
Challenge league cranks up the speed to its max, and is as fast and
furious as you’re going to get in deathmatch without humans.

The computer-controlled bots that you can play with or against are
a high point of UT. Epic's goal was to make playing with the bots
seem like playing with human players online, and they got pretty

close. At lower difficulty settings, they're complete pushovers,
but dial them up to a setting like Masterful or above, and they
start using weapons better, navigating the level more effec-
tively, and dodging. Sometimes they display what seems like
adaptive behavior; they once figured out my camping spot
and flushed me out with indirect weapons. In team-based
games, this is even more evident; bots will automatically
assign themselves offensive and defensive roles, and even
stage attacks on multiple fronts. The bots can auto-adjust
their skill, so when you start feeling too confident (or
ashamed} in your abilities, the game will shift settings to keep
it competitive. Also, bots will pinch-hit for your team if a friend
bugs out of a multiplayer match, and will participate as team
members in multiplayer games.

Pushing Things to Unreal Levels

The biggest improvement Epic has made over UNREAL is in
the weapon department. Each weapon (yes, even the goofy

Requirements: Penlium 233MII2. 32MB RAM. EDOMB hard drive space. Recoinmenited Requirements: Pentiuni ll-3Q0MHz, B4MB RAM. Glide-based 3D-card.
30 Support: DiieclSD. Glide, DpenBL Multipiayer Support: LAN, Internet (2-16 players), one CD per player.

Publisher: GT Interactive • Developer: Epic Megasames • SSO • www.unrealtournanient.com
ESRB Rating: Mature; animaterl blood, gore, and violence.

FEBRUARY 2000

gw.gamespot.com • COMPUTER GAMINB WORLD

REVIEW

Biosludge/Goo Gun)
has been over-
hauled (the Ripper
nee Razorjack no
longer sounds as if
it's flinging dimes),
and they’re all per-
fectly balanced to
bool. There is no
one dominating
weapon; each can
equally snag or miss
frags based on the
situation. The
Impact Hammer can
kill in one hit, yet it's
a melee weapon;
the Rocket
Launcher can
unload six rockets at
once, yet the rock-
ets move slowly enough to
dodge. Even the almighty
Redeemer can be avoided, if you
shield yourself from the blast with
a wall. The only downside to the
weapons is the lack of a trapping
kind (unless you count the
Biosludge's gooey droplets).

The overall level design is richly
varied. Environments range from
standard warehouses to pirate
galleons to spacecraft in flight.

While UNREAL levels focused on
awe-inspiring architecture, UT lev-
els are designed more for playa-
bility and flow, while retaining
some aesthetically pleasing archi-
tecture. The deathmatch level set
in a mountain monastery with precarious, twisting stairways is a masterful blend of beautiful visu-
als and beastly gameplay, as are the Capture-The-Flag (CTF) level with two massive towers
placed on a spinning asteroid, and an Assault level on a mnaway train.

Go Team, Go!

UT offers many more ways to slay than just deathmatch. There are teamplay-based modes,
such as the familiar CTF, Domination (a Capture-And-Hold scenario a la TRIBES or TEAM
FORTRESS CLASSIC), and an all-new game-type, Assault. In an Assault game, one team pur-

■ . V' . ■ y- -'J'.-:;-. •' :

;■ V'-V.;

/Sr...

AREALLY

SMART BOMB

..-'- y- - Each weapon has an
: -f alternate Are that adds

• . •• '•••': some strategy, such as
being able to guide the
Redeemer tactical nuke
nght onto some poor
goober's head.

jTyi.' ; ( J

Tips For Tackling
the Tournament

S ee page 63 for some tips from Cliff
Bleszinld, one of the designers of
UNREAL TOURNAMENT, on how to be a
better deathmatcher. But while you’re here,
check out some of my hard-earned death-
dealing wisdom.

▲ Use the Speech Binder function in the
Input menul This is necessary for surviving
team-based games. For example, I bound
the brackets and backslash to “All" com-
mands, such as “Everyone defend” or
“Everyone attack." I also did things like
binding the semicolon key to “1 need back-
up here," or the period key to “I'm in posi-
tion." And for lemmings like me, I put
“Rogerl" over at the quotation mark.

A When fleeing for any reason (like flag-
carrying or cowardice), use the Biosludge
gun. Spray it on the floor while you weave
from side-to-side, and you’li leave gooey lit-
tle landmines for pursuers.

▲ CTF flags are often in enclosed rooms;
when playing goalie, the best weapon is the
Flak Cannon, as yon can just follow the
flag-grabber and put him down from
behind. When no Flak is present, use the
Rocket Launcher, as pursuing a flag-carrio'
may allow the rockets to lock on the poor
sap. Sharp shooters can try using the Sniper
Rifle, as a headshot is a one-shot kilL

A Take the time to ieam your weapons,
and then go to the Weapons Option in the
Main Menu, and reprioritize your list. For
me, I put the Flak Cannon first, then the
Sniper Rifle, and so on, and 1 turn
"autoswitch weapons" off, as I iike to pick
my weapon on my own terms— not when I
run over a weapon.

A Learn from others. Put your player into
Spectator mode in the Player Setup menu;
then set up a Ihrbo-speed game with seva-
al Godlike A1 bots and watch bow they
move. Then go into the online world and
spectate to your heart's content to get a feel
for how other gamers move and shoot.

COMPUTER GAMING VUORIO

^AKMY ]WK\nS

ABR TAC¥ICS

BATTLE IN THE AIR, ON THE GROUND AND OVER SEA
TO FOIL THE EVIL GENERAL PLASTRO’S PLANS TO TAKE
OVER THE WORLD.

* Pilot 3 classes of helicopters In 20 high-flying missions
featuring all new plastic-melting weapons

* Custom-designed multi-player maps for up to 4 players

* Put your skills to the test in your search for the way home

I The 300 Company. All Rights Reserved. 300, Army Men, Air Tactics, Real Combat. Plastic Men., and their respective logos,
service marks o( The 300 Cornpany In the U.S. and other counj^s. Al| other trademarks belong to their respective owhers.

UNREAL. TOURNAMENT

REVIEW

FLAGGED FOR LIFE Finishing the single-
player prepares you to go online and not completely suck.
I’m the dashing robot who's racing to guard the flag here.

PACKING PURPLE POWER UTIs a bit
slim on power-ups; besides health and armor, there's the
Damage Amplilier (shown here), the Shieldbelt. and
Invisibility.

sues objectives while the other
defends, and then the two switch
roles. The adrenaline rush of
trashing an underwater base or
escaping a prison with your bud-
dies in under a minute can
exceed the head-spinning excite-
ment of deathmatch scenarios.

For team games, both with or
without bots, players can use the
voice command menu. While
there is no voice-support, gamers
can puil up a menu with common
sayings and orders to broadcast
to your team. A nice bonus is that
each saying is accompanied by
an indication of your current loca-
tion, eliminating all the “where?"
questions whenever someone
says “I need some backup!"

Unfortunately, the menu is mouse-
driven, and it can be cumbersome
to use in the heat of battle.

The key to a multiplayer game
is the online play, and again, Epic
has learned their lesson from
UNREAL. The network code is
much better, as lag becomes less
of a problem, and there's hardly
any packet loss (I've only seen
the network socket icon three
times in my two weeks of online
playing). Even on servers with pings of 400 or above, the game was
still as playable as QUAKE II under similar conditions. All in all, playing
online maintains the pulse-pounding feel of the single-player mode. On
top of that, all your matches - both online and solo - are logged, so
you can lake a look at your "career" and examine stats such as
weapons used, frags-per-hour, and so forth.

UT uses a modified UNREAL engine, which means that Glide-based
3D accelerators have an advantage over others. Epic did work on their
Direct3D code, though, so I was able to play the game comfortably at
800x600 resolution with 32-bit color-depth on a P/ll-400 with 128MB
of RAM and a TNT 1 accelerator. The main problem with the engine is
memory usage: Gamers with 64MB of
RAM will want to use lower resolutions.

Also, 3D sound tends to drop the frame
rate, and the first few discs shipped had a
goofy installation bug that wouldn't detect
D3D cards, but that should be fixed by
now. UNREAL graphics may not be the
sheer visual marvel they used to be, but

there are still moments where you have to sit
back and admire the colored lighting and varied
backgrounds.

Unperfections

There are a few flaws in UT, but they're all so
negligible that it doesn’t impact the overall feel of
the game. While bot Al is great, it's still primarily
path-based, so astute players can figure out the
patterns of bots even at Godlike difficulty (bots
can also be extremely easy sniper-bait in maps
such as CTF-Facing Worlds). The character
models look too much alike; with the exception
of the purely robotic or undead-style skins, the
characters pretty much blend in with each other.
As mentioned earlier, the voice menu is too cum-
bersome to use in the heat of battle, and even
with hotkeys, I would prefer both a quicker way
to specify recipients of orders and a way to give
commands to groups of players/bots rather than
just to individuals. Also, while the game offers 50
maps, I would have liked more than seven
Assault missions, since Assault is the best
game-style in UT.

That UT includes a weapon called the
Redeemer in entirely appropriate: UT has com-
pletely redeemed both Epic and the UNREAL
franchise to action gamers. With the combination
of great Al, depth and variety of gameplay, and
accessibility to both newbies and the hardcore,
UT has shot the pulse-pounding mayhe m of mul-
tiplayer shooters to new heights.

www.planetunreai.com The ubor*sHe for all that is UNREAL.

unreal.eplcgames.com Epic's own tech site Is a good resource for mod
and map makers.

www.unrealtaumament.net/forumfflash.trtml The official UT message hoard from GT;
Cliff BleszinskI, an UNREAL TOURNAMENT designer, is one of the moderators.

TO HYPERSPACE Some levels are truly inspired, such as
this starshlp-in-hyperspace map where the exterior has different gravity
rules than the Interior.

FATBOY VS. SLIM To add some spice to the game. Epic
has bundled a few Mutators (UNREAL's mod system) right out of the
hox, such as the goofy “Fatboy,” which makes the lead player fatter and
the trailing players progressively skinnier.

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

:gw.gi

im • FEBRUARY 2D00

REVIEW

ROLE-PLAYING

The Avatar Returns to a Beautiful, Broken Britannia

Premature Ascension

A nother ULTIMA, another huge disappointinenL Although It was
in deveiopment for over five years, ULTIMA IX: ASCENSION has
been prematurely released. ASCENSION went through a vari-
ety of controversial design changes since its original conception.
During the game's extended production, its outspoken producer -
and most of its original design team - departed from Origin, and the
bulk of its development team was transferred for several months to
work on its multiplayer sibling, ULTIMA ONLINE.

Yet. in spite of the controversy that surrounded its creation.
Ascension could have been a memorable game set in one of the
most beautiful and immersive worlds ever seen in a computer game.
Unfortunately, the premature release of ASCENSION is a disappoint-
ing final chapter in gaming's best known
series, laden by unoptimized code and
other extensive technical problems.

The plot involves the Avatar returning to
Britannia to stop his arch-nemesis, the
Guardian, from corrupting and then
destroying the world. The Avatar quickly
learns that hell be unable to ever return to
Britannia, so he needs to find a way of
permanently resolving the world's prob-
lems. The plot has some twists, but it isn't
as deep as its weighty premise might suggest, and it’s fairly derivative
of previous ULTIMAs.

ULTIMA fans should be pleased that a number of key characters.
Items, and locations return, but this installment doesn't respect
ULTIMA lore m a number of ways. There's a surprising amount of revi-
sionism, and the inconsistencies are never adequately explained.
Unlike Ultima Vlll, however, ASCENSION doesn’t completely aban-
don its roots, although the plot lacks the moral ambiguity of the best
games in the series.

Britannia Does Not Rule

NIGHTY-NITE A day/night cycle was noticeably absent In the last
ULTIMA game. PABAN. It's back In ASCENSION and it’s never been better.

MAYBE THE RAIN WILL MAKE THE DRAG-
ON GO AWAY... Weather effects are great, as you can see from
these individually-modeled raindrops. Unfortunately, it occasionally rains
indoors. Notice the stationary dragon in the top-lett corner.

While previous Origin products pushed system requirements to
new extremes, ASCENSION suffers from more fundamental problems.
The game requires a 3D card and supports both Direct 3D and
Glide, but it runs very badly under Direct 3D. As a result, even
gamers with state-of-the-art systems equipped with TNT2 Ultra cards
and tons of RAM will experience choppy
gameplay.

The game plays better using Glide (and

CGW RATED

Britannia,' to bleat incessantly and to stalk your character through a
variety of inappropriate areas. The interface is finicky at times, regu-
larly delaying access to backpack items by construing attempts to
open them as decisions to move them. There are occasional 3D
graphics errors as well, resulting in objects getting stuck inside walls
or in mid-air.

Britannia the Beautiful

Beautiful world,
with unique envi-
ronments and
interesting char-
acters.

! Horrific Direct 30

' support; extreme
system require-
ments; loads of
technical prob-
lems; poorly
implemented com-
bat system.

when you're exploring areas away from the ULTIMA IX abandons the series' traditional isometric perspective in

mam cities), but it never runs smoothly, and favor of a third-person view, It was a controversial move, but it gener-

has memory leaks that gradually deteriorate ally works well, granting a detailed view of Britannia while maintaining

performance. Since gameplay is slower-paced the overall style of its predecessors. The world ts undeniably gor-

than in a pure action game, a silky smooth geous, full of incredibly varied locations and some absolutely fantastic

frame rate is less of a prerequisite. But only views. A variety of birds, insects, fish, and livestock realistically popu-

patient, tolerant gamers possessing a Pentium- late Britannia, and the game's day/night cycle is particularly well

III system stocked with a Voodoo 3 card and done. Unlike other 3D-gaming worlds, Britannia is impressively inter-

at least 1 28 MB of RAM will be satisfied with active. Some series veterans will enjoy just thoroughly exploring the

ascension's current performance. world, discovering all of the different objects and locations.

The game includes melodies from previous Britannia is smaller than in previous ULTIMAs, but the detailed envi-

ULTIMAs, and quality music composed by ronmenfs are so full of unique landmarks that it still feels expansive, at

George (WING COMMANDER) Oldziey. least until you've explored it. The game is initially fairly linear, and

Unfortunately, there's a bug that causes one rather than rewarding you for cleverly slipping your way into an unex-

of ULTIMA'S most repetitive tunes, 'Rule pected area, you're more likely to encounter scripting errors. Most of

Requirements; Petiduni-ll 266. SAMB RAH. BX CHOM dim.SMB 3Gc3ii}.6CICNBIiaid drive spas. peQpimqBdEl tall0Bi-||)5p(L12^^ 1

'RUrT(fITVSll3i73 aid 1GB tisidAlve spits. 30 Support DlitciBO. Glide Multiplayer Support None

PiMisher: Eiectronic Arts - Devsioper: Origin Systems • $50 • www.ultima9.com • ESRB Rating: Mature; animated blood, gore, and

violence.

rrBHUARY 2D00 • egw.gi

COMPUTER 6AMIN6 WORLD

REVIEW

FLY AWAY LITTLE DOGGIE... This wolf is having a bit
of difficulty navigating the spiffy 3D-terrain.

the scripting quirks are minor and
just display conversations inappro-
priately. but there are serious ones
that can prevent advancement if
you don't undertake actions in the
most obvious sequence. Later in
the game you can explore Britannia
more freely, although the story-dri-
ven nature of the game always
makes it obvious where you should
next proceed. The linear plot and
lack of character-development
options make ASCENSION more of
an adventure game than any previ-
ous ULTIMA,

NPCs have considerably more
personality than in most RPGs,
and are well-animated and graphi-
cally detailed. There are numerous
entertaining scripted scenes
between them, but the voice acting
IS generally poor, with the excep-
tion of Bill Johnson's reprisal of his
role as the Guardian.

Battling Avatar

There's a lot of climbing, jump-
ing, and swimming in the game,
which may annoy players who pre-
fer less action-oriented gameplay.

While the jumping interface works
well, it's sometimes difficult to navi-
gate underwater. The spell system
effectively combines the reagent,
spell-book, and ritual systems of
the past few ULTIMAs. but the
combat system is a mess, generally
devolving into rapid mouse-clicking on your enemy. Each weapon has
four different attack modes, but since combat is so simple, they rarely
seem meaningful. Arrows are woefully under-powered at the begin-
ning of the game, as targets routinely turn into inadvertently humor-
ous pin-cushions.

Characters spurt blood when hit and bodies decay into red piles of
goop, both of which are farcical graphical effects. Combat is general-
ly meaningless and easy to circumvent, although even rodents pro-
duce gold coins when slain. While it may be an RPG convention to
unrealistically reward gamers for trivial combat, it’s a practice that the
ULTIMA games had historically avoided,

ascension's AI seems particularly unfinished. Enemies frequently

Members of the development team have publicly stated that the
game had a 'non-movable' ship date, which is pretty disappointing
considering that ULTIMA ONLINE was released in a similarly unpol-
ished state. If Origin had taken the time to properly complete this
game prior to release, it may well have been a worthwhile finale to the
series. But they didn’t, and it's not. K'O

look tike statues and aren't triggered until you're on top of
them, sometimes literally. While certain monster animations
are excellent, too many creatures barely move or prove to be
incapable of navigating the terrain. If you attack monsters
from a distance, you'll usually be able to gleefully fling arrows
into their skulls before they’ll move an inch. Occasionally. I'd
read sinister significance into a vulture’s circling overhead
and conclude that some monster AI was fine, only to subse-
quently watch the vulture smash into a nearby cliff. Even the
best AI in ASCENSION is only as good as the most basic AI
in MIGHT And Magic VII. which certainly didn’t do anything
special; the AI at its worst is as bad as it gets.

Its technical flaws make ASCENSION a chore to play,
which is truly unfortunate, since it provides the most visually
detailed and immersive world yet featured in an RPG, Unlike
ULTIMA Vtll, ASCENSION doesn't abandon the traditional
strengths of the series. While some gamers may not appreci-
ate the action-oriented gameplay and certain design deci-
sions, there's no doubt that ASCENSION has a story that
focuses predominately on the ULTIMA virtues and related lore.

The plot is somewhat revisionist, but does wrap up loose
ends that gamers have waited half a decade to resolve.

COMPUTER 6AMIN6 WORLD • e g nr . g a me i y o t . e

FCeRUARY ZOQD

"If YOj're Into white-kniickle doels with scary aliens,
rig yojr PC wllh at least 128 MB of RAM, Remember,
the more HAM you have, the longer you'll live."
Compuiai Shoppei i

STRATEGY

REVIEW

From Start to Finish, SIM THEME PARK Is an E-Tcket Ride

Sim-piv Irresistible ■

P erhaps the only truly unpleasant thing about Sim theme PARK is
finding a way to distill the overwhelming sense of delight that
permeates every facet of this game into one page of text.

Describing the game? That’s not hard: You design and manage your
own very individualized theme park. But capturing the magical sense
of challenge, humor, and fun that blossoms in tandem with your bud-
ding park? That, my friend, is the daunting part.

Funny Business

At its heart, SIM THEME PARK is a business simulation. Success is
measured in dollars earned, so you'll not only set entrance gate
prices but the prices of the souvenirs, costumes, and refreshments
you sell as well. You can juggle the quality of goods you sell to

increase your profit mar-
gin, but if you sell crap at
high or even moderate
prices, you can expect to
anger your patrons; they'll
buy less, fewer will visit
your park, and before you
know it EuroDisney will

look packed by comparison. While vendor placement is key (put cos-
tume shops near the exits of your best rides for higher sales) you can
also micromanage in other ways - for Instance, loading your fries
with salt to make your customers thirsty for the over-iced sodas you
sell at a premium. Occasional challenges let you earn cash or golden
tickets to unlock special rides.

You'll also have to juggle a full staff of
janitors, researchers (for developing new
rides and upgrading existing ones), wan-
dering entertainers, security personnel,
and mechanics. Fail to keep them happy
and they'll strike, Fail to keep them effi-
cient, and your rides will break down as
your park degenerates into a lawless sea
of unmopped vomit.

And in a sense, that vomit is just the
tip of a different iceberg: While many
business sims are dry, flavorless affairs,

SIM THEME PARK
wraps its capital-
ism in a cocoon of
unmitigated goofi-
ness. The big-headed kids wan-
dering your park puke unabashed-
ly, squeal in unchecked delight,
and are just flat-out adorable tod-
dling around in the spaceman or
jack o’ lantern costumes they buy.

The game ships with four themes
(Halloween, a fairyland, a jungle
motif, and space) but as wildly dif-
ferent as they are, they all share
the same giddy cartoonish sensi-
bility, be it the giant vampire-shaped balloon

CGW RATED

PROS

Wildly entertain-
ing; lets you man-
age every aspect
of your park with-
out becoming
tedious; fantastic
online component.
CONS

Little motivation
to continue after
maxing out your

store, the juggling space alien entertainers, or
the careening pumpkin bumper cars. As much

fun as it is to watch the constant bustle of life from above as you
manage your park, it’s even better to hop into first-person mode and
wander your park, taking time to ride the suspended roller coaster
you just designed, or to hop aboard the spinning rocket ships.

Six Flags Over the Whole Damn World

And when you lire of your own parks,

I you can go online and visit parks made by
people the world over. Ride their rides,
check out their layout, and maybe steal an
idea for your next coaster. If you really like
a park, you can vote for it, since every city
on the globe ranks its online parks. And if
you're really enjoying your virtual vacation,
snap a screenshot and send a postcard to
a friend using the game's e-mail utility.

With everything SlM THEME PARK has
going for it, its few problems are fairly

inconsequential. The lure
of building new things
really helps drive game-
play, so once you've
maxed out on research-
ing the new, the motiva-
tion to continue drops
off. Also, as cooi as the
roller coaster designer is,
getting the track to end
up back where you start-
ed can seem virtually
impossible at times; a
pause feature while build-
ing coasters would've
been nice.

But you know what? I don't care. SIM THEME PARK offers more
fun than ten other games combined. If you don’t need to v/ipe o ut an
enemy to have fun, this is a game any gamer would love. LifLJ

research; roller
coaster designer
could be friendlier.

Requirements: Penlium MMX 2Q0HK2. 32MB RAM, 4D0MB tianl drive space. Recommended Requirements: Pentiuiii lh300MKi MM6 RAM, 8MB
D Support: DIrectSD Multiplayer Support: Mona compelitively. lint uniqne latemel support

Publisher: Electronic Arts • Developer: Bullfrog • $40 • www.simthemepark.com • ESRB Rating: Everyone; comic mischief.

COMPUTER BAMiNG WORIB • cgw.gamespol.coin • FEBRUAflY 2000

Iff Stores Now!

ei999Si«trsOn-Lin«.lnc, All Rights Rasetved. Sierra, ths 'S' logo, and Sierra Spoils are trademarksol Sierra On-Lina, Inc. Papvnis"'andlt>ePaoi'rus logo are tiadernarksol Papyrus DesignGroiip, Inc. NASCAR® is a legisleiedlraiJeiiail
d Ihe Nalional Assooalion lor Slock Car AulO Radng, Ine. Rictiaid Petly ilems licensed by Petty Marketing Company, LLC The Richard Polly name, signatina and silhoueUe are exclusive IraCemarks of Petty Marketing Convany. UC. The name
likeness and image ol the »6 Dodge slock car used by permission of CoRon Owens. The name, likeness and imaga ol the »64 Ford stock ear used by permission ol Elmo Ungley. The name, leteness and image o1 iho *24 Ford stock car used b
permission d CecJ Gordon The name, kkeness and imaga ol tie *71 Dodge slock car used by permission ol Harry Lee Hyde. The name, likeness and image of Ihe »27 Ford sior* car used by permission ol Jody Mattiem. FORDTRAOEUABK!
USED UNDER LICENSE FROM FORD MOTOR COMRANY.OI999 Ford Motor Company. Plymouth and Dodge are registered Irademarks ol Oaim>erChrysler Corporation and are used underkcense. 0 DaMeiChryslet Corporation. Gcolyear (an
Vitiged tool design! and Eagle marks are regislerefl trademarks olThe Goodyear Tte S Rubber Company, used with permission. AH oihei names, kkeness and trademarks are tie properties ol their respective owners and ere used under permssion.

REVIEW

ACTIOISI-ADVEIMTURE

Crack Your Bullwhip in LucasArts' INDIANA JONES AND THE INFERNAL MACHINE

Hollywood's favorite tomb raider, but that doesn't mean it's flawless -
or anything close. This is one of those games where if you're not
positioned just right, the computer won't let you pick up an object,
open a door, or climb a ladder that’s right next to you (it took me 1 5
minutes of trial and error to hang a bucket on a hook). There is a lot
of jumping in the game, from pillar to pillar and ledge to ledge, and
you should plan on plenty of slow saving and restoring to get you
through these sequences intact. Saving and restoring is also the only
way to get you past the instances where the game crashes complete-
ly - this happened to me four times.

Also in need of improvement is the story itself,
which starts out pretty generically (Indy hunts
through the ruins of a temple in the Middle
East), takes a turn for the better (Indy has to
escape from a Russian ship where he is held
captive; Indy befriends a Nubian boy in the
desert; Indy races
through King Solomon's
mines in a mine car), and
ends with a tnppy sci-fi
sequence (Indy fights a
giant robot and chases a
demon through "the
Aetherium,' an alternate
dimension that looks like
the inside of M.C.

Escher's computer).

Except when it springs to
life in the middle seg-
ment, the dialogue is flat
and out of character - the Indy we know from
the movies wouldn't make smirky comments
when encountering ancient artifacts or super-
natural phenomena. And the mild sparring

CGW RATED

PBOS _

Immerses you in
the world of
Indiana Jones i
more efNictiuely
than any game
ever has.

CONS

Sticky controls
and occasional
crashes; story has

between Indy and
Sophia Hapgood
[whom gamers with
long memories will
remember as the
female lead from
INDIANA JONES AND
THE FATE OF
ATLANTIS) ignites no
sparks.

Indy the Third
Dimension

So in what sense is
this the best Indiana
Jones game ever? It's
simple; This is the first
game to actually put

you into the man’s boots and under his fedora. Granted, it's a third-
person game of the TOMB RAIDER variety, not a first-person DOOM
clone, but you really feel like you're in there with the man. The envi-
ronment IS so immersive that by reflex I kept craning my neck to see

Lara WhoP

W e've come a long way in the 18 years since they started

making Indiana Jones games. When Atari was gearing up to
adapt Raitlers of the Lost Ark in 1982, they said their great-
est chalenge was making a realstk-kioking btdhMhyi (this from a
company that thought a rectangle with a hat was a dead ringer for
Harrison Ford). Fast-forward a decade or two and LucasArts has the
bullwhip problem licked. If their Harrison Ford still looks a bit rectan-
gular, so what? That gives them something to work on over the next
18 years.

Heaven knows, there's still room for improvement. INDIANA JONES
AND THE INFERNAL MACHINE is easily the best game yet to feature

INDIANA JONES AND TDE
INFERNAL MACHINE

r ~ "^ reviewed by Charles Ardat I

some pretty weak

moments.

Requirements: ftniluin 20QMHz. 32MB RAM. 55M6 haul ditve space. 3D aneleialoi lajiiliei Recommended Requirements; Pendiin II. GAMS HAM
3D Support QiecQD Multiplayer Support Ndib

PiidisharfDevetaper; LucasArts • $40 * www.lucasarts.com • ESRB RaDng: Teen, animaled blood and violence.

FEBRUARY 2000 • cgw.gi

• COMPUTER BAMINB WORLD

REVIEW

around corners and over obstacles. The music, which combines famil-
iar John Williams themes with original material by Ciint Bajakian, is
extremely effective in creating its mood of danger and awe. And. by
God, they got that bullwhip right - the thrill of using it to swing
across pits or disarm enemies doesn't wear off. even after you've
been doing it for hours.

The character graphics are blockier than they need to be - when
Indy shakes hands with a CIA agent it looks like two beer steins clink-
ing - but the variety of photogenic settings makes up for it. Your glo-
betrotting quest for machinery stolen out of the wreckage of the
Tower of Babel takes you to the mountains of Tibet, the clear waters
of the South Pacific, and the sands of Egypt, as well as into the visu-
ally distinct temples of several civilizations. Indiana Jones fans have

GLOBETROTTER Egypt. Tib8t...ft just wouldn't be Indiana
Jonas without a lot of exotic locales.

the thrill of recreating not only the mine car race but also the river-
rafting sequence from Temple ol Doom, as well as numerous traps
reminiscent of the first movie - including the giant rolling boulders.

While the story could be stronger, it does have its moments. Since
the tale is set in 1947, on the cusp of the Cold War. your foes
throughout are Stalin's soldiers rather than Hitler's (expect plenty of
shouted Russian exclamations in place of the conventional
■Achtung!*), The sequence on the Russian ship is outstanding, not so
much because of the puzzles it contains as because of the variety it
adds, making the whole enterprise feel less like a climbing/jumping
game set in a gameboard world of blocks, ramps, and ledges than
like a real Indiana Jones movie.

When you get to Egypt and find an urchin cowering in a mineshaft,
whimpering 1 don't like hyenas,' it's a genuinely affecting moment.

And when you reward him for an errand with a dead explorer's pocket
watch and his eyes light up ('Now I own a machine! I am going to be
an industrialist''), the game momentanly achieves a depth of charac-
terization and self awareness that even the movies lacked.

But the moment doesn't last, and by the time writer Hal Barwood
has sent you scurrying into a floating neverland out of William
Gibson's subconscious, you realize it isn't inspiration so much as
expiration. By the end, he's used up every possible climate and every
device from the movies, and all that's left is a pyrotechnic last-ditch
eruption meant to bring things to a climax, like when all the members
of an orchestra play at once to finish off a symphony. It doesn't really
work here, not least of all because the big battle with the demon
Marduk takes forever (you've got to aim a mirror just right to bounce
his fireballs back at him. and you've got to do this not once but five
times). It's got all the worst aspects of the game: overly fussy con-
trols, lots of saving and restoring, a difficult action you've got to do
over and over, and a fundamental misunderstanding of what does and
doesn't fit in the world of Indiana Jones.

Fortunately, scenes like this one are in the minority. Most of what
the game contains does fit and, hell, you get used to the controls. For
a certain generation of gamers - who have had their Star Wars fan-
tasies fulfilled for years but never their Indiana Jones fantasies - play-
ing even this imperfect specimen of a game will feel like finding a
great treasure.

COMPUTtn BAMINB WORLD • cgw.gi

:irot.eem • rEBRUARY 2000

Somewhere behind enemy lines, the U.S. Army's most elite soldiers stand ready for action.
They're trained, skilled and courageous beyond imagination. They're the Green Berets.

Spec Ops II: Green Berets drops you into the world of this uncommon breed of soldier. A world where instinct and action are the only
ways to survive. Where you eliminate the enemy with a prototype OICW shoulder rifle one minute— and with your bare hands the next.

Created with the help of the Army's First Special Forces Group and built by the team that invented the commando-shooter genre.
Spec Ops II is as real as it gets. From weapons to missions, every detail is designed to create the most intense combat of your life.

> More buddies and smarter buddy Al.

> An even greater selection of actual weapons.

> Multl-storied interior and vast exterior spaces.

Download your FREE demo
at www-ripcordgames.com

B V 4 mwfi

% ^

P1 !>93 Ripcord Games All rights reserved. Ripcord Games and ihe Ripcoid logo and icon are trademarks ol Ripcord Games. LLC. Zombie is a tradentark of Zombie, LLC. The rating
IS a trademark o( Dio liiloiactrve Diqital Sotiwaro Association All other trademarks ate properties of Dteir respective owneis.

> LAN or Internet multiplay for up to 16 players.

> Higher polygon models for extreme realism.

REVIEW

TACTICAL SIIVIULATiaiMS

Tom Clancy and
ROGUE SPEAR Have
Nothing To Fear
From These

DELTA FORCE 2 and
SPEC OPS II:
GREEN BERETS

Tactical Sim Sequels

CGW RATED

DELTA FORCE 2

PROS

; Good mission
I design and tense
action; solid multi-
player mode.

CONS

Extremely poor
visuals; sound
effects non-exis-
tent; doesn't sup-
port 16 -bit video
cards in acceler-
ated mode.

SPEC OPS II

mreat Eliminated

I n the follovu-the-leader world of computer gaming, it
only takes one successful innovation to start a
craze. Ever since Red Storm Entertainment published
RAINBOW SIX and proved that tactical combat simula-
tions could. sell, game developers have been falling all
over themselves to jump on the bandwagon.

Well, the bandwagon has come around again, heaped
high with sequels. Once again following in the footsteps
of Red Storm and its worthy successor ROGUE SPEAR,
are NovaLogic's DELTA FORCE 2 and Ripcord Games’
SPEC OPS II: GREEN BERETS. Tom Clancy should be
able to sleep nights - neither come close to ROGUE
SPEAR. The more action-oriented DELTA FORCE 2 col-
lapses under the weight of awful graphics and question-
able design decisions. SPEC OPS II is more successful,
but comes up short in strategy, playing more like a really
good military mod for an existent first-person shooter
than as a game in its own right.

Head Shot

DELTA FORCE 2 (DF2) isn’t a tough game to summa-
rize, with a number of adjectives coming to mind. Words
like interesting, exciting, challenging - oh, and
unplayable. Can't forget that one. You see, while a great
deal of the basic game design here should lead to some

enjoyable gameplay, NovaLogic’s abysmal Voxel Space
32 engine graphics turn virtually every mission into an
eye-straining pixel hunt. Big, blocky voxels instead of
sharp little polygons may be great for creating lush ter-
rain, but they're lousy for just about anything else.

Further, since voxels can't be accelerated via graphics
hardware, today’s fancy video cards are unable to help.
DF2’s accelerated mode fops out at a crude-looking
640x480, and only helps render background elements
such as radar installations, SCUD launchers, and build-
ings. Higher resolutions are available in software mode,
but I found even 800x600 resolution to be an unplayable
slide-show, and this on a PH 450 with 1 28MB of RAM
running a TNT 2 Ultra!

SPEC OPS 2 (S02), on the other hand, looks very
good, particularly at higher resolutions in 32-bit color
mode. The visuals are still more JEDI KNIGHT than
ROGUE SPEAR, but they're miles above DELTA FORCE
2. Settings look very realistic, and truly evoke just
about every environment on earth. I particularly like the
jungles of Thailand and the industrial complexes of
Germany. There is one bizarre design choice here in
that you have to choose a display adapter and resolu-
tion each time a mission is started. This does nothing
more than add a mouse-click, but it's strange that the

Requirements: Pentium II ar Celeron 400. 64MB RAM. 465MB hani drive space. Recommended Reqaireiaents: Penttum 111, 12SMB RAM. 32-iitt 3D hanlivars
accejeralar 30 Supporl: Dirtcl3D. Multiplayer Support Up to 50 players via NoYaWorlil malrrtiing service. Z-1B player via LAN, one CD per player.

Requirements: Pentium MMX-2D0MHZ. 32MB RAM. I50M6 Irani drive space. DiiectOD-rximpatible video card. SeconiDienderi ReciinranentsPanduinlFZOOMHz,
.PltBcOlhainiiatihlB ridee card wtfi 18HB RAM. 3D Supporl: Direct 30. Glide. Multiplayer Supijort: UN. Internet (2-16 players), cne GO per player.

PEBRUARY 2000

:gw.gi

pot. I

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

> I^EVIEW

GOTCHA! Perhaps the only major difference
between SPEC OPS II and most first-person shooters
is the importance of preventative sniping. It you get
close enough to see the whites of their eyes, expect
to restart the mission.

Mission specifirs are rather annoyingly obscure,
though. In the quiu/ies, you're given regions instead
of countries and asked to fill in the blanks: that Central
Asia stands for Chechnya, the Balkans for Kosovo, and
so on. Campaigns are wholly fictitious, taking place in
Antarctica and Chad. Chad? Doesn't exactly get the blood pumping,
does it? Where are the crazed Egyptian terrorists, the Russian mobsters, the
paranoid Midwestern militas?

Well, they're in S02, actually, which is designed around a number of train-
ing levels and five campaigns of four to six missions set in every corner of the
globe. You'll try to stop Pakistan from launching a nuclear strike on India, tear
across frozen Antarctica in search of a crashed satellite, and take on terror-
ists attempting to steal Stinger missiles in Germany. Oddly enough, each sep-
arate mission in these campaigns can be played in any order. So if you want
to blow up the Pakistani missile base before you’ve even found out where it
is, go ahead, though this can kill the sense of immersion and make you feel
as if you're playing through single episodes.

NO, AFTER YOU... SPEC
missions are the best, since you can
cannon fodder. If the point man gets
your luck

preference isn't simply saved.

Sound is absolutely spectacular in S02. The budda-budda of automatic
weapons is suitably threatening, and little touches like the crunching of boots
in the Antarctic snow are well done. These elements tend a lot to the overall
atmosphere. Sound in DF2 is quite the opposite - virtually nonexistent.

Covert Operation

As you’d expect, it's very difficult to creep around stealthily when you can't
see the guards you're supposedly slinking past. Such is the curse of DF2.
Missions quickly devolve into taking baby steps, listening for gunfire, and then
frantically scanning the horizon to see where the shots are coming from.
Pixelated visuals make it no easy task. Enemies can only be spotted by
searching for off-colored pixels in the terrain, If a block flashes, kill it. If a dot
is colored differently than the others in the area, kill it. Of course, if these
points of light turn out to be hostiles, you’re often toast by the time you bring
up your weapon and scope. All of this is incredibly frustrating. The graphical
limitations all but cripple the game, since its primary focus is on stealth and
long-range sniping.

If you can somehow get over this hurdle - and it is a
rather high one - DF2 can be mildly entertaining. The
designers did a great job of evoking the tension of Special
Forces combat. Every one of the 45 solo missions in the
two campaigns and single-mission mode evokes that
“alone behind enemy lines" atmosphere, whether you're on
a search and destroy escapade in the Middle East or
invading a drug kingpin's estate in Central America.

Just a Flesh Wound

Of the two games, S02 is more successful in almost every way, even though
it still falls well short of the standard set by ROGUE SPEAR. More of a military
sim than the run-and-gun DELTA FORCE 2, most of S02’s missions have a first-
person shooter feel to them. Part of this comes from the lack of solid objectives.
Campaign intros are dramatic and fun to watch, but they're more movie-trailer
than military briefing, with mission notes just a few brief bullet-points. As a
result, you land with little real idea about what you're supposed to do. There's
also a useless overhead view for a map and an incredibly awkward waypoint
system. To compensate, each mission is forced down an obvious path. The
good news? There's realty only one route to each destination, so it's virtually
impossible to get lost. The bad? Missions play out like shooter levels, with the
notable (and unrealistic) exception of your being unable to move and fire your
weapon at the same time. To blur the lines further, enemy weapons and ammo
can be picked up, and you'll occasionally run across hidden items. No health
packs or BFGs, though.

S02 multiplayer looks like it could be
a lot of fun, with deathmatch, team, and
King of the Hill modes, along with coop-
erative play through the game's single-
player missions. Unfortunately, I was
unable to hook up with enough fellow
players on the SPEC OPS II server to
give it a proper whirl. The game had just
hit stores when I made my attempts,
however, so your experience may vary.

On the other hand, DF2’s (one high-
light is multiplayer. Online play on the
NovaWorld server can be a real blast,
with up to 50 players taking part in
games ranging from traditional death-
match to cooperative and Capture the
Flag. Of course, since the same basic
engine problems show up here as
well, the fun is mitigated by a fair bit of
frustration.

So Who Wins the War?

If you buy just one tactical sim this year, it shouldn't be either of these;
neither can hold an M4 to ROGUE SPEAR or the original RAINBOW SIX,
still the unquestioned leaders for armchair commandos. While there are
certain elements that might appeal to some gamers - the exciting multi-
player modes of DF 2, the unique “Green Berets do DOOM" feel of SPEC
OPS II - the Tom Clancy-inspired titles outclass them every step of the
way.

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

im • FEBRUARY 2000

REVIEW WARGAME

SID MEIER'S ANTIETAM! Slices A Page

Fix Bayonets!

CGW RATED

Publisher: Firaxis * $30 • www.1lraxis.coin • ESRB Rating: Everyone

Ability to re-figbt
the entire battle;
improued inter-
face; spruced-up
graphics; incisiue,
first-hand account
of the battle as
described by Ezra

Came available
only from the
Firanis website.

subordinate artillery batteries that
may be scattered around the map,
then re-deploy them. Artillery can
even be ordered to hold its fire until
enemy units have closed to within
canister range. And to make things
clearer on the battlefield, damage
markers have been added to show
the firing effectiveness of each unit.

Like GETTYSBURG!, ANTIETAM!
includes loads of historical and
“what-if” scenarios that cover every
conceivable aspect of the conflict, from the skir-
mish in the East Woods to the fateful battle along
the sunken road. Players can even re-fight the
entire endeavor from start to finish if they’re up to
the task, something they were unable to do in
GETTYSBURG!. Commanding the entire battle is a
bit unmanageable - particularly at the height of the
action - but, hey, that's what gamers claimed was
lacking in the original game.

So how does it all hold up? Very well. I’m happy to report. Even
at the lowest competency setting, the computer opponent is quite
challenging, steadfast on the defense but just as determined on
the attack - especially when it comes to seizing key objectives. In
fact, the computer seems to be rather adept at rushing reinforce-
ments to where they’re needed the most, oftentimes snatching vic-
tory from the maw of defeat at the most crucial moment.

That said, Sid Meier and his Firaxis team have once again cap-
tured the tempo and ferocity of mid-19th Century warfare, ably
portraying the field of battle during one of the darkest periods of
American history. When it comes to tearing a page out of the his-
tory books, no one does i t with as much elegance and accuracy as
the gang at Firaxis,

M ore American blood was shed on September 17th, 18B2 than
on any other day in U.S. history. In just under 1 2 hours,
23,000 men laid down their lives during the pivotal Battle of
Antietam, when Lee’s army of Northern Virginia clashed with forces
from McClellan’s army of the Potomac on the rolling countryside
near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Several recent wargames have attempt-
ed to recreate this disastrous struggle to bring the Civil War to an
end, but none have succeeded like SID MEIER'S ANTIETAM!.

Firaxis used (heir award-winning GETTYSBURG! engine to recre-
ate the Battle of Antietam,
making changes that address
the vagaries of the battlefield.

To begin with, ANTIETAM! does
a better job of modeling all of
the units, going so far as to

depict the uniforms each unit wore, Virtually
every important unit is present and accounted
for, from the Confederacy's Louisiana Tigers
to the Union's Iron Brigade. While the
Federals typically retain their distinctive “blue
wall" fapade, the Southern Army looks more
like a collection of ragtags than a well-disci-
piined machine, better reflecting the historical
composition of the Confederacy's forces.

Eight types of artillery are now modeled, as opposed to just two
in GETTYSBURG!, Each side has a much better mix of cannon at its
disposal, ranging from 32-pound howitzers to lightweight Parrott
rifles. This means that players can now use
their artillery as it was originally intended,
whether for long-range counter-battery fire or
for much shorter-range infantry support.

Other improvements include a set of
revamped command bars; in the case of
brigade commanders, this enables them to
issue "fall back" and “retreat" orders to units
taking heavy fire. Division and corps com-
manders can now "gather up" all of their

SID MEIER'S
ANTIETAMI

I reviewed by Marti Dultz

FEBRUARY 2000

;gw.g;

• COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

REVIEW

ACTION

OPPOSING FORCE Tries Hard but Doesn't Measure Up

Half-Right

C hange an integral part of any successful creative endeavor and
it's hound to suffer. Just think of the Sid Meier-free
CIVILIZATION: CALL TO POWER, the Planet of the Apes TV
series, or Van Halen with (shudder) Sammy Hagar. A similar chal-
lenge faced Gearbox Software: Make a game worthy of HALF-LIFE
without the original creative team behind it. OPPOSING FORCE is
better than most single-player shooters, but while Gearbox had all the
tools, the end result is like giving a good sculptor a slab of marble, a
chisel, and Michelangelo's David as a template. He's not going to
come close.

As Colonel Adrian Shepard, you are cast as one of the troops

hunting down HALF-LIFE

MEET THE NEW BOSS Not the same as the old boss.
Dealing with OPPOSING FORCES bosses is a letdown, espeoially compared
to the anginal HALF-LIFE.

HALF-LIFE:
OPPOSING FORCE

reviewed by Robert Coffey ■

hero Gordon Freeman,
While OPPOSING
FORCE’S
extended
intro sets
up this
intriguing
premise, it’s
dropped

NOW AND XEN Tnis is about all you'll see of the gr’*
alien world. Vour trips to Xen are very brief jaunts that serve ■
only to teleport you around Black Mesa. "

almost the second your character bails out of a heli-
copter and hits terra firma at the Black Mesa Research
Facility. Your mission quickly becomes solely one of
escape, with Freeman utterly forgotten but for a brief
glimpse early in the game that only ensures you’ll have
no hope of interacting with him.

That disappointment would be easier to swallow if
this rather brief game's action were up to HALF-LiFE
standards, but it isn’t. While the game is still broken up
into titled sub-chapters, none of them hold together the
way they did in the original. Yes, you'll explore new parts
of Black Mesa, like the alien obseryation areas and toxic
waste facility, but your time in each location is brief. You never have
the unique sense of place that was created in HALF-LIFE: the frenzy
of Surface Tension, the creeping menace of On a Rail, or the alien
confusion of Xen. Instead of a game where every room and every cor-
ner brought something new and exciting, you charge through a series
of environments packed with enemies both old and new - but noth-
ing that makes you pause and whisper to your-
self, “That was cool"

HALF-LlFE's sturdy Al remains, so the fire-
lights are still challenging, especially when
OPPOSING FORCE ups the ante by throwing
five leaping assassins at you along with a
handful of grunts. But that's about all of the
core gameplay that remains. Gone are the
episode dominating bosses that gave each
chapter structure and tension; there are really
only two bosses and they’re a letdown.

Bosses from HALF-LIFE do pop up for Special
Guest Appearances, but you don’t really inter-
act with them, and they only underscore how
disappointing their replacements are.

There's an awful lot of puzzle-solving, espe-
cially difficult jumping puzzles made more
daunting by surfaces that practically repel you,
and by your tendency to get trapped on edges

OLD FRIENDS Some familiar faces
will pop up in OPPOSING FORCE, but they
don’t play much of a role in the game.

CGW RATED

Still better than
most single-player
' shooters; new
- multiplayer maps.

_cgNS

Doesn't deliver a
HALMIFE caliber
experience; very
short; weak
weapons and
monsters; puzzle
elements can get
in the way of play.

and in corners. Jumping
puzzles are so prevalent
that any time you get
stuck in the game, you
should immediately
start looking for the
nearest crate you can
push to reach some-
place higher.

OPPOSING FORCE
does bring some new
things to the game. You
can climb ropes, use alien barnacles as grappling hooks, and new
monsters - including packs of spike-shooting Pit Drones - make for-
midable, if uninspired, enemies. New weapons include a brutal SAW
machine gun, an entirely moot sniper rifle that replaces the cooler
crossbow, and the Shock Roach - an electricity-spitting alien bug.
The new weapons are kind of fun, but a lack of any real need to use
them had me leaning primarily on the SAW and the MP5 throughout
the game. New multiplayer maps created by a team of all-star level
designers like Levelord provide some new death-dealing playgrounds.

In the end, OPPOSING FORCE is done in by simply not being able
to reach the bar set so high by its predecessor. The gaming here is
solid and better than most, but if you’re itching for more HALF-LIFE,
you’re going to have to wait for HALF-LIFE 2.

Retjuiremants: Pentiuni 133MIIZ. 24MB RAM. 125MB hard drive space: HMF-UFE rrritsl be irrstalled. RE>t:ommenEied Requirements: Peodtim 20DMHz, 32MB RAM,
3D arxeleralor. 30 Support: Gllrie. Diretn3D MulL'player Support: UN, Inlerriet (2-32 players). erteCD per player oa Inlernel one CD perloar players ort UN.

Aiblisher: Sierra • Developer: Gearbox Software • $35 • www.sierra.cam • ESRB Rating: Mature, animated blood and violence.

100

FEBRUARY 20DD >

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ACTION

REVIEW

GT interactive Lets Greatness Slip Away

Cinderella

T he wheel of time is a game that begs to be loved...at least ini-
tially. From the moment I entered the game, I found myself
stunned by amazing visuals and wowed by the ambience of the
first few levels. “Robert Jordan's novels weren't this scary,” I thought
as I found myself jumping (and yelping).

But after I got through the beginning of the game, Cinderella-syn-
drome hit THE WHEEL OF TIME hard. The magic wore off, and a
game with infinite potential turned back into what it really is - a typi-
cal, action-oriented fantasy/adventure game with typical, action-orient-
ed fantasy/adventure devices, punctuated by the occasionally
cool/unique/interesting level. Grab as much magic ammo as you can.

Learn from your

THE WHEEL OF TIME

deaths. Fight off a
group of monsters.
Heal yourself and
replenish your
magic ammo.
Advance to the
end of the level.
Fight off the occa-
sional big bad boss, or deal with some sort of monstrous challenge.
Watch a cut scene. Repeat.

3D Graphics, 2D Story

The Wheel of time's flimsy plot sounds like it comes straight
from some kind of Microsoft Word macro generator gone mad. You
play the role of Elayna Sedai, a reluctant heroine who finds herself in
the middle of a traitorous plot to re-release the Dark One from his
lockdown status by gathering the four Cuendillar Seals; the hero who
originally imprisoned the Dark One stupidly left these lying around.
(Note to self: If you save the world, make sure you leave no powerful
artifacts - be they rings, spears, crystals, seals, or sporks - lying
around afterward.)

The game starts with a bang. An assassin breaks into your room in
the White Tower and demands that you hand over one of the seals.
When he realizes that you don't have any, he steals some weird,
horn-looking artifact (one of the few mysteries in the game) from a
hidden closet and escapes, slitting the throats of 1 4 of your sisters
as he leaves. After confiding in you that she fears traitors within the
Tower helped the Assassin, your boss, a
woman known as the Amyrlin, sends you after
the Assassin, i'll let you figure out the rest of

I the story. It won't take you long.

It’s understandable why Legend, the game’s
designers, stuck to such a formula. Most fanta-
sy novels keep retelling a similar tale. But why
such shallow story development? Given the
game's explosive and frightening opening
sequences and levels as you chase the
Assassin, I had hope that we would all finally
see a fantastical storyline that actually breaks
new ground. Instead, the story progresses in
exactly the way you would imagine, with no
twists, surprises, mysteries, or explanations.

CGW RATED

1 ics; occasionallir
stunning game-
piay; cool multi-
player mode.

fcONS

Shallow story for
an game set in
' Robert Jordan’s
. universe; unin-
spired level
designs.

Momentum Shift

To be fair, WHEEL OF TIME does create

Requirements: Peniiiini 2D0MHr. 32MB RAM. 500MB hard drive space. Recommended Requirements: Peeliuic 233MH4 G4MB HAM. 3D Supporl: Optional.
Dired3D and Glide. Multiplayer Support: t-4 players via TCP/IP.

Publisher: CT Interactive • Developer; Legend Entertainment • $S0 • www.gtlnteractive.com • ESRB Rating: Teen, animated blood and
violence.

102

FEBRUARV 2000 • cgw.gi

• COMPUTER GAMING WORID

REVIEW

of the region, wait for the winds to recede, and then go back in, The
tension and fright this stage of the game creates is so palpable, you’ll
be frantically digging for the exit. If only this was the norm.

On the plus side, the game's monsters are superb. Outside of a
few bugs that let me attack monsters
before they “saw’’ me, or made them sim-
ply run back and forth without attacking,
they all boast above-average Al and fight-
ing them is an enjoyable challenge.
Trollocs nimbly sidestep your fireballs.
Whitecloak Soldiers use their shields to
deflect your attacks back at you. And the
spell-casting enemy Aes Sedai hits you
with an arsenal of offensive and defen-
sive magic that mirrors your own.

Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the
way through WHEEL OF TIME, the sur-
prises end. At this point, you've encoun-
tered pretty much every monster, and eventually you start to realize
that the best way to deal with an evil Aes Sedai is to use a powered-
up blast of Balefire. Or that the best way to deal with the teleporting
Myrddraal is to use Freeze and then blast them away with Seekers or
Fireballs.

some fantastic moments. But the game is never able to sustain or
capitalize on their momentum, mostly due to a lack of pacing, and lev-
els that inevitably devolve into typical first-person shooter mode. For
example, toward the end of the first third of the game, you're sup-
posed to be helping to defend the White Tower from attack. When
you begin, you see and hear your castle preparing for attack; war
horns sound off and soldiers start running around. Then the attack
starts, and the momentum rapidly dwindles to the point where you
feel like you're simply playing another level.

The same goes for the Assassin-chasing sequences that begin the
game. You're supposed to be chasing this guy, but the levels are
designed in such a way that you have to take your time. This contra-
dicts the nature of the mission. Since you don't feel the need to hurry,
the tension of the chase is totally depleted.

One of the few moments where this isn’t the case comes mid-
game, and illustrates how great WHEEL OF TIME could have been.
You enter a dangerous nether-region known as The Ways in order to
quickly cross the continent. The catch is that you can't be in this
region for long before the Machin Shin - a dark sinister wind - gob-
bles you up, so you have to sprint from one gate to the next, pop out

UNREAL GRAPHICS WHEEL OF TIME makes the most of the
UNREAL engine with excellent weather and weapon effects.

Your knowledge at this point, in combination with the uninteresting
story, results in an outright crawl towards the finish line. And once
you gel there, not surprisingly, an anticlimactic end-sequence and
Quicktime finale will leave you totally unsatisfied. On the plus side, it
does do a nice job of tying you into WOT's multiplayer mode.

Compounding the problems, the game's cut scenes are all handled
outside of the game's UNREAL engine. Nothing punctures your sus-
pension of disbelief more than finishing a level in the attractive 3D
environment, and then having to wait while a full-screen Quicktime
video loads up.

Because the story is so generic, the cut scenes usually fall flat, and
worst of all, these movies depict actions that are totally incongruous
with Elayna’s in-game achievements. I just kicked about 4000
demons' asses, took on the whole damn Whitecloak army single-
handedly, and then I’m going to be surprised and captured from
behind by some chump at one of the most critical moments of the
game? And I can't do anything about it but keep watching the movie?
Thai’s not right.

The 80-20 Rule

If The WHEEL Of time could be this exciting 80% instead of
20% of the time, it would easily join the ranks of HALF-LIFE and
SYSTEM SHOCK 2. Unfortunately, a consistent tendency to fall back
on mediocre, formulaic structure and story renders the cool moments
and interesting multiplayer-mode moot, and turns WOT into a slightly
above-average 3D shooter. Kdl'/

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD •

' . 8 a <n e s p a t . I

om • FEBRUARY 2DOO

■Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine

a vengeance

Tlie Legion of tke Fallen is ravaging tKe lands/ killing everytking in
tlieir patL Only determination/ ligkting-fast reflexes/ and an unquencliatle
tkirst for revenge will save tke lands of Ardon. INow is tke time to
fight with the fury of demons. Are you kero enough?

• Unique klend of action and role-playing

• Custom kuilt state -o f-tke-art 3D accelerated engine
‘ Action-packed kand-to-kand comkat with a wide variety of fearsome weapons
* Distinctive character development

• 30 devastating spells of awesome power

Might and Magic

PnmaSSBiegyGuide Available

eSer^ 3D0, Crusaders of Might and Magio, Might and Magic, and their respective
TOirmThe 3D0 Company in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks belong
^o'and Prima Publishing are Registered Trademarks of Prima Communications, Inc.

REVIEW SRORTS

EA Scores Another One With This Year’s FIFA

Goooooooooooooal!

F IFA 2000 is just the latest in a line of exceptional soccer titles
from EA Sports. Soccer - or football, as it is known the world
over - has always been a difficult sport for America to fathom.

Partly because, as in other popular sports, it is the offense that puts
people in the seats, but the defense that wins championships, in soc-
cer, unfortunately, that leads to low-scoring affairs. The purist can
appreciate the superior play in a titanic 0-0 battle, but for the casual
fan, such a score is perceived as boring. This is not a spurious issue,
because publishers are in the business of making entertaining games,
not necessarily rigid simulations. Fun - with a dose of authenticity -
is the name of the game, and EA does it better than anyone. FIFA
2000 is no exception and features a series of design decisions that
are meant to enhance your overall gameplay experience.

First up this ypar is the addition
of the Major League Soccer teams
and their commentators. The 1 2
new teams are a
welcome com-
ponent to a
product that tra-
ditionally con-
tains numerous club teams from around the world.

This year is no different with an emphasis on
Europe and teams from such nations as England,

Italy, Norway, Israel, and Turkey.

EA's presentation is second to none. An opening
sequence highlighting the difference between the
old classic teams and the modern cyber athlete is
accompanied by a rollicking soundtrack. Player ani-
mation is very crisp, with motion capture used to
its full advantage. There are also some nice little
touches, such as your player sometimes tapping
the ball to the ref at the end of the half. Sure it's a
canned sequence, but it's done seamlessly.

The different game modes provide many
options. The most detailed is season mode, in
which you play an entire season as one team.

Tournament mode allows you to set up various
competitions; the league component of this mode
is powerful enough that I used it to set up the schedule for my son's
soccer league.

Once into the game, player control is very responsive. A variety of
kicks, tackles, and headers are available via button presses and com-
binations. Your player has a yellow circle
around their base with a red, yellow, or green
arrow that points in a direction to indicate that
there is a player to pass to, and your odds of
the ball making it there. In addition, you can
also try what is called a “through ball;” this is
played into open space for one of your
players to run onto the ball. It's most
effective against a very square defense. '
There are three levels of difficulty that
ramp up pretty quickly; the opposition Al
becomes much smarter and quicker. What
would have been much more interesting
would be incremental difficulty settings for

PROS

Superti animation;
ease of gameplay
control; multiple
options.

.CONS,

. Needs more man-
agement options.

each of the areas on the field; defense,
midfield, and attack. Being able to up the
capabilities of the defenders - without
changing the midfield or attackers -
would allow for a more challenging game.

One of the few criticisms that can be leveled al FIFA 2000 is that
the trade feature and the overall management choices should have
more depth. While understanding that this is an action sports title
first and foremost, the ability to run your own team as well as control-
ling play would be most welcome.

From great gameplay to a myriad of options, FIFA 2000 has it all.

Al the end I am left only with a request for more - more regular
teams, more classic teams, more management options, and the ability
to play more than three seasons in Season mode. FIFA
2000 comes highly recommended. Kd'//

RECOMMENDED GEAR

Requirements: Pentiutn IBBMHz. IE MB RAM. 50MB tianl drive span. Recommended Requirements: Penliuin-ll 200MHz. 32MB RAM. 375MB hanl drive space.
30 Support: Direct30. Glide. Muitiplayer Support: 2-2Q players; up Id B over IPX netwoiX.

Publisher: EA Sports < $40 • www.easpcrts.com • ESRD Rating: Everyone

FEBRUAIIY 2000 •

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REVIEW SIIN/iULATIOIM

PANZER ELITE Is a Marvel of Fine German Engineering

Hell on Wheels

PANZER ELITE

A fter seeing so many dismal simulations of
VUVUII tank combat, I was beginning to wonder
if anyone was capabie of making a good one.

But someone finally has: Wings Simulations, with
the help of Psygnosis, has proven that when it
comes to waging war, no one does it better than the
Germans.

To borrow a popular adage, PANZER ELITE is a
marvel of German engineering. For starters, it's the
first WWII ground-combat simulation to effectively
incorporate infantry. Though the troopers are stiff
and cartoon-like, their presence on the battlefield
deepens the simulation and helps elevate PANZER
ELITE to a level others have had trouble achieving.

The developers have
done a remarkable job
of modeling the most
prominent
armored
vehicles
and the dif-
ferent
types of

weaponry. You’ll soon discover the inher-
ent difficulties of firing on the run, espe-
cially over rough terrain. The developers
went so far as to depict the ballistic
properties of each type of shell.

The terrain looks great, although it has
some shortcomings. Everything is
exquisitely detailed, from the rolling hills
of Sicily to the lush fields of the Norman
countryside. Unfortunately, all of the
foliage was created using 2D sprites,
which look flat and pixelated up close.

Not a major problem, but one that
could've been solved given the current
stale of technology.

CGW RATED

Buggy; pooriy-
written briefings;
can’t switch
between tanks;
inadequate docu-
mentation; script-
ed campaign
structure.

Engine Trouble

Like so many
games these
days, PANZER
ELITE is some-
what unstable,
occasionally
crashing while
loading the scoutin j report screen or even a
campaign. Fortunate' ■ version 1.07 - down-
loadable from the dev eloper's website -
cleans up some pro! lems, including some of
the speech and other sound-related conflicts
currently plaguing the system.

Other problems can’t be addressed with a
simple patch. For instance, the manual fails to
explain how to target the main gun or plot

artillery. In addition, the
designers could have spent
more time improving both the
mission briefings and after-
action report phases. As it
stands now, some of the
English dialogue sounds
amateurish, which is unfortu-
nate considering the effort
that went into other facets of
the game.

What's most disappointing,
though, is the fact that you
can't switch vehicles in your
platoon. If your tank is
destroyed in combat - which
occurs with alarming frequen-
cy - there's no way to contin-
ue the mission. From a game-
play standpoint, this is an
inexcusable faux pas, espe-
cially when you consider that
many of the missions can
take an hour or more to play.
I'm also surprised that the
designers chose a scripted-campaign structure instead of a more
dynamic system. Given the nature of ground warfare, and wealth of
historical evidence to draw upon, it would've been more interesting to
fight a series of shorter engagements where the player influenced the
course of the campaign.

Despite these problems, PANZER ELITE is a highly immersive
armored warfare sim that vividly recreates some of the most brutal
battles of the war. It's not the game it could have been, but it's still
the most realistic and challenging WWII tank sim you can buy. K'i'.'l

Requirements: Penlium 233MH2. 32MB RAM. 4X CD-ROM. 37AMB hanl drive space. Recommended Requir^ents; Penliuin II 266MHz. 64MB RAM. BX CD-RDM.
745MB hanl drive space. lOfce-leedback coptroller. 3D Support: Direcl 3D Multiplayer Support: 2-playcr modem and serial conrreciion support, iip tp 16-player nel-
worksoppon

Publisher: Psygnosis • Developer; Wings Simulations « $40 • www.psygnasis.com • ESRB Rating: Teen, animated violence

110

FEBRUARY 2000 • egw.g;

irn • COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

e 1939 CornpOUlpRm^K'umitonand Virgin interactive
Eiyertainment (EiHpe] Limj^. All Riglls Reserved. Virgin is a
reglsteiwt tradainfk ot Vpgin Enlerpnses Limited. Computer
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Ollier trademarks are'properiies m

REVIEW SlIVlUi-ATiaiM

Latest Jane’s Sim Has Everything but a Kitchen Sink
[Unless We Haven’t Found It Yet]

Aim High

rsrw,

E ver wonder what it was like to fly the steiith fighter at night
over Baghdad during Desert Storm? How about how tough it
might have been to rescue a downed pilot during the Vietnam
conflict? Imagine yourself saving the President's plane from hostile
MiGs, just like in the movie Air Force One. While you’re at it, you
might as well throw in a precision lead strike against an atomic reac-
tor's control center - within the United States, ru less - using only
your guns. If this blend of historical and hypothetical air combat is
your idea of a good time, then let me introduce you to your new
friend, JANE’S USAF.

USAF is developer Pixel Multimedia's second foray into the world
of combat flight simulation. Their debut release of last year's ISRAELI
AIR FORCE was often criticized for
its ugly phics engine, especially
in regard to the terrain's awful
“shimmering" effect. Pixel got the
hint, because USAF proudly
boasts one of the most stunning
graphics engines ever seen, fn fact,
USAF is essentially lAF Plus - and
that's a good thing. For example, both offer a variety of planes that
span a few decades of deployment in a specific air force. Both offer
the same two types of campaign structures. Both have the same mul-
tiplayer feature set. Both handle avionics in the same fashion, and
both shamelessly endorse a style of play that practically forces the
player to control most of the friendly aircraft at some point during a
mission. The "Plus" comes from a year's worth of improvement by
way of USAF taking the lAF template to greater heights. In addition to
the improved graphics, USAF also offers a mission recorder (yeahl), a
built-in voice command interface, and a resource-fracking component
within the “future" campaign scenarios. Use up all of your ever-impor-
fant AMRAAM missiles? You'll have to successfully complete a
resupply mission if you want more. There's even a pilot career-mode
that embarrassingly keeps track of just about everything you do within
the sim itself. USAF allows you to upload your pilot’s stats to the
Jane’s “Kill & Compare” webpage. You won't find my listing up there
any lime soon, thank you very much.

Until Kesmai’s upcoming AIR WARRIOR: VIETNAM makes its debut,
USAF is the only 3D-acceleraled sim on the
market that will lake you back to that storied
conflict and let you fly either the F-1 05 "Thud”
or the Phantom II F-4E, Those of you bummed
out by the cancellation of JANE'S A-1 0 can
find some solace here; you can strafe tank
after lank in the “Warthog" over Iraq {or even
Colorado, of all places). Although none of the
four included campaigns are dynamic In
nature, USAF takes full advantage of its pre-
scripted missions, often revealing new goals,
pitfalls, or problems mid-flight. While the cam-
paigns themselves are a bit on the short side
in total number of missions flown, they can be
very puzzle-like in nature and therefore require
a few repeated attempts. And for those of you
so inclined, you can make your own potential

^HDS

Fantastic terrain;

. many classic air-
planes; eKcetlent
training; solid
multiplayer.

CONS

Ouerly-sensitive
joystick Input;
graphics scale
poorly on lesser
systems; some
sound problems.

BLACK BEAUTIES These are definitely not the guys you want
visiting your town late at night...

training missions are excellent and have quickly become a standard
feature in a simulation bearing the Jane’s label, Once you have
passed a sufficient number of these training missions, the famous
"Red Flag” scenarios become available so that you can test what
you've learned.

mishaps with the included mission editors. The

Hequiremenls: Psntiuni 200MMX with M MB RAM, or Ponliuiii 266 with 32 MB BAM; Windows 95/98; 450MB tianJ drive space; BX CB-RDM; 4MB BO-acceleralor.
RecorainenJed Refluipements; Penlluin-ll 45BMHz 128MB RAM, 1.2CB HDD Free, 24X RD-RDM, Next-Beneralioii SD-acceletHtor capalile of 32-bil giaptiics,

3D Support; BinictSO Multiplayer Support: Interrei LAN (one GB per player).

Publisher: Electronic Arts • Developer: Pixel Multimedia > $40 • www.janes.Ba.CQni/usaf/ •

112

FEBRUARY 2000 • c g w. g a m e s p o t . co m • COMPUTER GAMING WOHID

REVIEW

www.wingtech.net/usaf/iRdex.htm :incd place id dc for
all things USAF.

www.limech.com uielHertahlisiied Jane*^ fan site.
www.wargamer.com/ianeshangar/ Another (juo^- /ana's
fan site;.

www.migman.com.au/ref/simhis/USAF/USAF.htm
Migman does a sInt justice like nohspy

flight on one
plane rather
than on several,
you might want
to look else-
where, Like iAF
before it, USAF
adopts an
extreme hands-
on approach
when it comes
to achieving
mission suc-
cess. In fact,
both the mis-
sion tips as

well as the manual strongly encourage this. If you want to succeed,
you’ll often find yourself shifting back and forth between cockpits to
help your planes suppress air defenses, fly escort, or
drop bombs. The friendly Al rarely succeeds when left to
its own devices, practically eliminating the option to fly
throughout any given mission in just a single aircraft,
while the enemy Al is extremely competent when set to
expert. Is it an intentional design decision on Pixel's part
- to “encourage” the player to fly every aircraft and liven
up the gameplay, or a clever means of getting around
some deficient programming? Either way, it makes for
some intense and exciting hands-on action, and there's
never a dull moment.

Most survey simulations are often synonymous with
compromise, and USAF is no different. The time normally
devoted to the creation of a single-plane study simulation

PHUN WITH PHANTOMS It’s great to finally

have a decent simulation of this venerable workhorse of the Vietnam era.

gets spread out among several aircraft
instead. As a result, the flight models
aren't as exact as they could be, nor will
you find any avionics that vary from one
plane to the next - they all work the
same way, regardless of the plane’s era.
This is not to say USAF won’t be of inter-
est to the hardcore enthusiast - far from
it. Set the game to its most difficult and
realistic of levels, and see if you aren’t
challenged. Or, give yourself a break from
FALCON 4.0 or FLANKER 2.0 and actually
evade a missile for once. Nonetheless,
USAF should be considered a medium-level simulation with a strong
emphasis on helping out the novice player. Like USNF before it.

USAF has the ability to educate and encourage a whole new genera-
tion of flight-sim fanatics, because it captures the on e ingr edient so
rarely found in many of today's simulations: It's fun, 2317

COMPUTER GAMINE WORID • c g w . ga me 8 po t . ci

• FEBRUARY 2000

113

jii;]

ij!Jl!)jJJ,,;j!!ij'3Jiijj ju/ess

Russian nationalism is back with a uenneance. IfSiiiWtS nM^I^MMiiM
into the heart of former Souiet territories faster
eastern europe? nothing less than the flashnoinl MlMiinlijlillffliill^
amassed on one side. nHTO on the other. You? Von'rCiiiHhw JoWHIIlllWl liillw
deuastating weapon in the inuentory of war: the helt^ll^ifnsW
power, steatth and speed blended in a high-wire balandii| act of exact proportion!
in 21st Century War, the fate of the world can turn on one micro-engagemgobi.
the epicenter of the action. So ftg low. Hnd strike deep. jstp

» »

Mobilize in two haid-hitling modes:
Instant-Action Target-Rich onslaught
or Active World Campaign System
everrun with military graund units.

Fly the AH-64D Apache, Westland Apache,
Eurocopter Tiger and Havoc.

> Stunning Graphics. *

> Generate Unlimited Battles.

> Multi-player Missions.

> 85 Realistic Weapon Types. ^

>114 Different Vehicle Types. *:

> Selectable Play Modes for the Pure
Sim Fanatics and Action Addicts.

> Will connect with upcoming
“Tank Platoon!” in the multi-player
Airland Combat System.

ACTION

REVIEW

Great Graphics Plus Shallow Gameplay Doesn’t Add Up to Much

Less Than Zero

W ith innovative titles like HALF-LIFE, SYSTEM SHOCK 2, and

BATTLEZONE blurring the line between action, strategy, RPG,
and adventure, the good ol' “grip it and rip it" shooter con-
cept seems to be running out of gas. And despite a great looking
graphics engine and lots of stuff to blow up, SLAVE ZERO treads
{make that stomps) over very familiar ground that will enthrall old-
school shooter fans, but leave them wanting after they rip through the
game’s scant 16 missions. And no multiplayer support means
ZERO’S replay value won't hold up.

Zero does have some innovations: Instead of weaving an
engrossing story or character development into the action, the SLAVE
ZERO team instead melded aspects of the ‘Mech genre with run-and-
gun action. The result is a simplified ‘Mech-like character, a 60-foot-

tall giant robot with 3D-shooter

mobility, seen from first- or third-
person chase-cam perspectives.
zero's Ecstasy Engine impres-
sively renders a dense, futuristic,
high-rising Tokyo, equal parts
Blade Runner and comic book.

But while the look and sound are
convincing, ZERO'S lack of a sufficiently involved storyline, challeng-
ing opponents, or innovative level design prevent the game from
being a top-shelf title.

|H>ill]iJJi]i1

Chan, Get Your Gun

If you rooted for Godzilla as he pulverized
Tokyo in film after cheesy film, then ZERO will
appeal to your sensibilities. You are Chan, part
of the rebel band known as the Guardians, and
you’re fighting the nefarious SovKhan and his
evil military-industrial empire. Equipped with a
Slave unit and armed to the teeth, your mission
is to fight the SovKhan's forces, battling your
way into his lair where you'll have to face him
down. The fairly clichdd storyline is executed
decently, and in-engine cut scenes provide the
mission briefings. Your commanding officer's
melodramatic female voice guides you along,
and is reminiscent of a Flash Gordon movie.

“The fate of the free world rests in your hands
[again]!!!"

ZERO often feels like a
rail shooter, because the
missions are so linear,
and the only way to

defeat end bosses is to simply blow them to
smithereens. Enemy Al is borderline nonexis-
tent, and - if you don't enter their hot zone -
pretty easy to pick off at a distance, since they
don’t really respond to a far-off attack.

Weapons come in three flavors; bullets,
rockets, and energy. You can only carry three
weapons at any time, and rockets are fired
from your shoulder as a kind of secondary fire.
Later on, you're given targeting systems that
increase the rockets' accuracy, as well as

CGW RATED

Great graphics;
everything gets
blow’d up real
good.

CONS

Gameplay grows
repetitive and
tedious a few mis
sions in; brain-
dead Al; no multi-

beefier bullet and energy weapons.

Most of the levels are very horizontal in
design. And while your Slave unit can jump pret-
ty high, you don't have Mech-like jump jets for
any real airborne mayhem. One mission. High
Climb, has you jumping like a frog to ascend
into the Upper City as you make your way to the
final showdown. There's some variety of mission
objectives (escort, defend, etc.), but most of
them are simply kill, kill, kill.

There Can Be Only One

The final battle pits you against the SovKhan himself, where you
learn the game’s one predictable plot twist. The SovKhan is a big-
assed end boss with a bajillion hit-points who finally gives up the
ghost in grand fashion to end the game. With ZERO'S very impressive
graphics engine and sound, and its interesting initial concept, it had
the potential of being one of the Great Ones. And if you’re pining for
an old-school blast-and-laugh shooter, then this one will certainly
entertain. But its overly linear and tedious gameplay, lack of multiplay-
er support, and th e miss ing X factor keep this one from being all it
might have been.

Requirements; Pentiuin 233MHz 32MD HAM. DiiEclX G-conipllanl 3D caul. 120MB liatil drive space. Recommended Requirements: Penlium-ll 2GGMK2. 8AMG
DAM. 225M6 tiani drive space. 3D Support: DlrecIGD Multiplayer Support: None

FHiblishen Infogrames * $40 * www.slave 2 ero.B 0 m > ESRB Rating: Teen, animated blood and violence.

116

FEBRUARV ZODO • c g w. g a m e s p a t . c o m • COMPUTER GAMING WORIO

mmmm.} MiiKiiiiiiu ijgiMinw mi^m-

Beating the computer is one thing

mil mm

So you ‘ve spanked the computer a million times. Big deal. Why not take
on some compete-and-destroy sports addict like yourself? Introducing
five new EA SPORTS games that let you jump on your PC and play head-

to-head online. Slap in the game,

EA SPORTS PC Games. The ultimate pickup court.

get matched up with wannabes

from all over the country and wipe your desktop with them. The gratification will be immeasurable, www.easports.com

You^il need all three to wiii«

The award winning Close Combat real-time wargame series returns to action!
Close Combat, Battle of the Bulge, Germany’s last desperate attempt to stave off
defeat in WWII, offers you the thrill and excitement of the Close Combat series with
explosive new levels of tactical engagement and detail.

It's the winter of 1944 and WWII is in full swing. The Allied troops are exhausted and the German
troops are ready to strike. The fate of the world rests in your hands as you command German or
American troops in an intense battle filled with sneak attacks, stalwart defenders, spies and saboteurs.
With courage, strategy, and nerves of steel, you'll be the one to decide the outcome of WWII!

New Campaign system allows movement of multiple
battle groups on a strategic map of the Ardennes.

Units may enter from different points on a battlemap basedi
on their strategic movement.

Through advanced Al, stress, fatigue and morale have
a direct impact on your troops ^nti: they react accordingly.

Campaigns give continuity from battle to^lttle; player's
tactical successes and failures have a direct impact
on the battle's outcome.

Accurately depicts WWII platoon war using combined arms.

Internet players can use online matching services
to find opponents. ‘Internet access required.

Command German or American troops.

2 players fight head-to-head in single battles,
operations and campaigns.

• Strategic game battlemaker allows you to create your
own Bulge campaigns.

' Allocate artillery and air assets (weather permitting)
in the Campaign and then call in support during
each battle based on those strategic choices.

■ ©1999 TLC Multimedia Inc, and its affiliates and it's licensors. Ail rights R«erved.TheSSI,(ogo is a registered trademark of TLC Multimedia
Inc. ei993-1999Atomic Games, Inc. All Rights Reserved. MPiaycr is a registered Trademark and the Mplayer.com logo is a trademark of . ^
Mpath interactive. ©1997-1999, Mpath Interartive, Inc. Windows is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the [
U.S. and/or other countries. Ail other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their resp^ve holders. •'.•.t,-

STRENGTH

REVIEW STRATEGY

AGE OF WONDERS Is Almost Fantasy Strategy Gaming at Its Finest

When Elves Anack!

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID Invoking the Terror
spell in combat reduces enemy units' morale. ..you can sorta see why.

to the ground. Comparisons to other games are a
lazy reviewer's best crutch, but it's pretty clear
here that the developers are paying homage to
three great games even as they pillage them for
ideas: the WARLORDS and HEROES OF MIGHT &
MAGIC series, and Microprose’s cult classic
MASTER OF MAGIC. Hardly an element or idea
here hasn't been swiped from one of these
games. But while Triumph Studios isn’t the first to
patch together a game like this, the second pleas-
ant surprise in AOW is that they have generally
succeeded.

The whole in this case really is greater than the
sum of its parts. While AOW resembles the
HEROES series in its colorful background, array of
special map structures, and gorgeous fairytale
graphics, its guts are most heavily influenced by
WARLORDS 3. As in that title, AOW scenarios
are large, hex-based maps

All Together Now

As for the game
itself, it’s turn-based
strategy on the grand
scale, with lots of vast
armies, besieged cas-
tles, and cities razed

B oy, do I hate elves. High elves, wood elves, gray elves, half
elves, dark elves, Keebler elves, whatever - to me they all rep-
resent the most cloying, puerile elements of the refried Tolkien
hash we call “High Fantasy.” So imagine my horror when I learned
that the campaign mode in AGE OF WONDERS (AOW) allows you to
play as either the good elves, or - wait for it - the bad elves. Argh!

So my first pleasant surprise came when I read the backstory
explaining why the Keepers (good elves) are fighting the Cult of
Storms (bad elves) for control of the Valley of Wonders. I'm usually
ready to blow off the "story" for most games, but AOW’s is actually
pretty good, sketching a detailed world with a long and believable
history. Even the villains have logical motivations instead of the usual
megalomaniacal schemes.

dotted with cities
that serve as recruit-
ing centers for your
troops. You can't
create new cities;
you can only seize
and upgrade various
neutral towns and -
as in WARLORDS -
each hex can stack a
strict maximum of
eight units, eliminat-
ing the "Mega
Stack” and making
army composition a
delicate balancing
task.

CGW RATED

PROS

Beautiful graph
ics; detailed tact!
cal combat; awe
some spells;
heaps of cool
, units; deep and
satisfying game
play.

CONS

1 Bugs, bugs, bugs;

: a couple aggravat
ing Interface

I NEED A HERO Heroes are your most
important onits, and can have their various skills
and abilities customized to suit even the most
finicky buyer.

vy-

I F <5 # 3 It ' ^ !

I X '€.• 35/56 4/10 i ..r/a j

d s'V' ♦ 20/20 j ‘1^ i

MhraV' Hi#> F V

When conflict

rears its ugly but inevitable head, you can resolve it with a quick and
abstract replay of the battle (dull, but good for obvious blowouts), or
opt for the more detailed tactical combat. In an "homage” to MASTER
OF MAGIC, the turn-based tactical combat occurs on a rather targe
isometric playing field that accurately represents the city or terrain in
contention. One clever twist is the way you can get around the eight-
unit limit on stacks; All units surrounding attacked hexes are automati-
cally drawn into the combat, so you can end up with over 50 units in
a battle.

Over 100 different units are all lovingly detailed with heaps of spe-
cial abilities, ranging from the nymphs’ power to seduce male
humanoids to a basilisk's death gaze; from the poisoned darts of
assassins to the boulder-hurling of giants. In city sieges, the use of
heavy weapons like battering rams and catapults is mandatory unless
you have creatures that can fly over, pass through, climb, or crush the
defending walls.

Requirements; Pentium IGGMHz. 32MB RAM. 350MB liani drive space. Recommendeil Requirements; Penlium ll■26GMH;. 3D Support; Nope
Multiplayer Support: IGP/IP. IPX. Iiptseal email (2-12 players). Poe CB per player.

Publisher: Gathering of Developers • Developer; Triumph Studios ' $50 • www.ageofwonder8.com
ESRD Rating: Everyone; animated blood, mild animated violence.

122

FEBRUARY 2D0D

BW.g;

:po!.i

• COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

REVIEW

A BAD STRETCH OF ROAD Several units, like the
Undead Reaper, change the terrain as they move. In this case, the
Reaper's passage transiorms lertile fields inb the wastelands more hos-
pitable to the unliving.

? .'•'K ^ , I

' THtNK GLOBALLY, ACT EVILLY Global spells fa

. v' Flood. Raise Terrain, Poison Wood, and this Deathstorm let you alter the

gameworld and screw your enemies over - without the nuisance of combat

■iJr'- 1' ■

The most powerful units of all are
heroes. As in HEROES, these are
clearly the focus of the game and the
core of any army. Heroes are built on
a point system and can be assigned
abilities with every level, from the
power to steal life points, to raising
the morale of accompanying troops,
to stealthy movement.

But spellcasting is their real forte.

Only heroes may cast spells, making
the safety of your chief caster a seri-
ous concern. At the same time, you
need to keep him near the front lines
to gain experience and to work his
magic effectively.

And what spells! AOW's magical effects are the grandest I've ever
seen in a turn-based strategy game, including huge elemental storms
that can scorch fields to a crisp, magic to raise and flatten mountains,
and the terrifying flood that makes every river on the map overflow its
banks. An assortment of more utilitarian spells for unit healing and
buffing - as well as your basic combat zappers - are also available,
but it's the big global enchantments and summonings that are the
showstoppers.

i, '

Strange Bedfellows

The robust diplomatic model requires a master diplomat to inte-
grate more than a handful of races into a coherent nation. Elves and
Ores don't get along too well in garrisons, for example, and even in a
more balanced empire you may find your troops rebelling if you com-
mit violence against their race - burning enemy-controlled Halfling
shires will displease your own Halfling troopers. You can change the
population of towns to better suit your purposes, but even this must
be carefully considered - expel Goblins from a captured city to make
room for Lizardmen, and the Goblins become more hostile even as
the Lizzies are appreciative.

There are about 30 scenarios included, each playable from the van-
tage point of multiple races and difficulty levels, along with the
dynamic campaign, which branches at various points as you decide
just how evil or good you want to be. There are multiple possible end-
ings for the campaign, including a fairly bleak pyrrhic victory for those
fighting on the side of the
Undead hordes. It's enough to
keep one busy for a while, and a
very polished and powerful map
editor is also included, so you
can expect user maps to start
showing up shortly.

The downside? There are one
or two interface tweaks from
WARLORDS they forgot to copy,
such as a way of automatically
routing units in a build queue to
your front-line cities. But more
grievously, the initial release of
AGE OF WONDERS is rife with
bugs, ranging from the minor
(occasional graphics glitches) to
the major (frequent slowdowns
due to sound problems) to the
heart-slopping (frequent crashes
and lockups). The developers -
to their credit - appear to be
working feverishly on fixing
these problems, so there's a
very good chance that by the
time you read this the most

egregious errors will be fixed.

Now, I hate bugs almost as much as elves - but AGE OF
WONDERS has made me live with them both. This is one of those
games I wish I could wail a month or so to finish rating, since my
hunch is that, once patched, this could be a five-star title. Even as it
currently stands, it's way, way above average, and anyone with even
the slightest interest in turn-based strategy games owes it to them-
selves to check it out. K'i'.'i

.■’vAf'?' ' '?

Skis '

COMPUTER GAUINC WORLD

gw.gamesp

FEBRUARY ZODQ

123

STRATEGY

REVIEW

PHARAOH Builds A Monument Atop CAESAR’s Success

Jewel of the Nile

PIT CREW Limestone quarries, like tlie one in the lower right of
this shot, are crucial to building both trade routes and monuments.

LEAVING YOUR MARK Nothing beats
erecting enormous, resource-gobbling, labor-intensive
monuments to the glory of all that is you. And isn't
that what being the Pharaoh is all about?

IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID

Gash flow is everything in PHARAOH. The game pun-
ishes fiscal mismanagement harshly, so you'll need to
juggle taxes, heavy trade, and more to thrive.

CQW RATED

IN system; menu

Somewhat

tiue; takes i

few cities t

to the hear

Putaltsher: Sierra • Developer; Impressions • $S0 • www.sierra.com • ESRB Rating: Everyone

rich outpost at one turn, then building a
bustling trade center at the next. Also, you
may find yourself dragged into a civil war,
particularly if you don't keep up your rela-
tions with your fellow Egyptian cities and
the imperial ruler.

The pyramids represent both a strength
and a weakness in PHARAOH. On one
hand, these enormous monuments sap your manpower, tax your
economy, mess up your trading system (as not all materials will be
readily available, and you're going to need a lot of everything to get
even one pyramid built), and generally skew the way your city must
be built- All of this provides for additional challenges, with a concrete
sense of accomplishment when you finally get the damn thing built.

On the other hand, most of the scenarios where monument build-
ing is a key to victory follow the same path. First, you must get your
city functioning effectively. This means providing food for everyone
and generating a positive cash flow through trade and industry. Then
you're ready to start building your monuments. Even with a healthy
population and a lot of cash on hand, pyramid building can take a
long, long lime. But if you’ve built your city properly, you won't face
many other challenges while you wait for your stonemasons and oth-
ers to finish their masterwork. Monument construction tends to draw
out the game for quite a while after you've addressed the primary
challenges of a scenario.

While PHARAOH also contains some of the more irritating ele-
ments of the Caesar hi system - such as randomly-wandering ser-
vice providers, irrational traders, and a relatively constant need to
micro-manage warehouses - these tend to come off more as chal-
lenges to be overcome than flaws in the game itself. The Egyptian
setting provides enough variety to make PHARAOH new and interest-
ing, while the strong core game of CAESAR III remains intact. W,'/

I n need of an ego lioost? There’s really nothing like having a mas-
sive stone monument that’ll last three or four thousand years
built in your honor. Most of us - not having access to unlimited
funds or an army of slaves - won't be able to accomplish this in real
life, and will have to settle for the somewhat more limited gratification
that comes from playing PHARAOH.

Fortunately, while the game probably won’t immortalize your name
forever or get your sarcophagus into the Smithsonian, it will provide
you with many hours of electronic monument building and the narcis-
sistic thrill that comes with it. Based on the successful CAESAR III
system, PHARAOH puts you in charge of constructing and managing
a series of cities in Ancient Egypt. As with CAESAR, you must attract
citizens by supplying food, religious services,
a healthy
economy,
and

defense
from a vari-
ety of mili-
tary
threats.

You must also, as you'd expect, built the mas-
sive monuments for which the Egyptian civi-
lization is best known,

Gameplay in PHARAOH is very similar to
CAESAR III, charging you with plopping down
stonemasons, bazaars, temples, dentists, and
housing along with dozens of other buildings
as you build and nurture the micro-civilization
that is each city. The unique challenges of
creating a thriving city along the Nile River -
with its periodic floods and unique farming
methods - add new and interesting elements
not present in CAESAR III. The construction of pyramids and other
monuments like the Sphinx - necessary for successful death and
burial - is the focus of most of the cities you'll build, especially after
moving through the first few introductory scenarios.

PHARAOH follows your career through a number of different city
types, presenting you with a variety of strategic challenges. You may
find yourself defending an isolated but mineral

PHARAOH

I reviewed by Tim Carter

124

FEBRUARY 20DQ

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GRAPHICS.

"...resistance is futiie."

- PC AcEGlerator

"A virtually flawless masterpiece"

- Future Gamer

"... will shake up the gaming landscape"

- CNET

" a next-generation game in every sense..."

- The Adrenaline Vault

"The 3D shooter for the next millennium."

- gamesmania.com

"...I have to tell you, it's pretty damn cool"

- IGN.com

iGTQa

jlQTIr

Technology is a playground.

Reviews | Shopping | Business Help News | Investing I Games Tech Life I Downloads I Developer

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REVIEW SilVIUL.ATiaiMS

HEAD to HEAD REVIEW

The Great Waldo Pepper and The FAA Duel for Hangar Space on Your Hard Drive

Civil Aviation Shootout

O wning your market segnent for 17 straight years has b be
an ego-booster. It proves you know your customers and
understand the need to continually update your product,
Microsoft's FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2000 is the latest refresh of their
-franchise' game, and the goal is to stay king of the hill. FLIGHT
UNLIMfTED III from Looking Glass Studios is the premier competi-
tor. and -

FLIGHT UNLIMITED III
FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2

reviewed by John Nolan

money or
drive

space for both, so it's time to wring these babies out and see
which one deserves your hangar,

Flight Model Marketing Magic

It's a rare flight simulation that doesn’t claim realistic flight models,
and these two make the standard boasts. Both programs provide
similar basic plane sets with single-engine aircraft, a WWI fighter, a
glider, and a bizjet, FU3 then diversifies its stable with seaplanes,
light piston twins, and the P-51, FS2K opts for more exotic types

turns, and acceleration/deceleration rates are easy to model, and
both of these sims are sufficiently accurate in these realms. The
tough part is getting the variables right; torque, drag, spins, and con-
figuration changes provide the real clues on flight-model detailing. In
their -full realism' settings, neither game is particularly outstanding in
these areas, but FS2K has a clear edge. Comparing FS2K’s 737-400
flight characteristics to actual experience in the 737-800 left me

128

FESftUARy 2 0 0 0 • c g w. g a me s p o t . t o tn • COMPUTER 6AMIN6 WORLD

V REVIEW

Learning

to Fly

T oday’s crop of civilian flight
sims are getting so good that
they can be used as a serious
tool for pilot training. FLIGHT
UNLIMITED III is a stellar example, as
it incorporates realistic IFR flight
planning and communications
sequences from Ground Control
through Approach Control, allowing
the student pilot to request and copy
clearances and Automated Terminal
Information Services (ATIS weather).
The student pilot is able to put com-
munication strings together to
request and respond to controller
instructions. If things are not done in
the proper order, the student is
prompted for the required informa-
tion. This tool trains pilots to create
usable flight plans, copy clearances,
and to communicate accurately and
concisely. No other training tool for
pilots (not even the FAA-approved
simulators) is able to offer such a
realistic and forgiving environment for
this type of student practice. Student
pilots who come to flight instruction
with experience in these advanced
flight simulators will have a big-pic-
ture understanding of the ATC system
and IFR navigation that otherwise
takes months - if not years - of train-
ing to build. Although it should be
obvious that you can’t get your pilot's
license without proper real-world
training, civilian sims can be used as
a complement, and save you time and
money if you want to make the jump
from the desktop to the skies.

flight models - FS2K does have a better
flight 'feel' than its competitor.

Fingerpaint or Photo Realism?

One of the primary ways these games
have carved out niches for themselves is in
how they deal with terrain. FS2K attempts
to model the whole world (over 20,000 air-
ports,'. It even includes the little grass strip
where I keep my PT-19, with the hangars in
the correct locations. While the attempt to
cover the globe is a resounding success,
something has to give, and detailed terrain
is the sacrificial lamb. Despite the sk major
cities that are called ’high resolution," most
of the terrain in FS2K is a repetitive, mud-
dled blend of seasonal colors. And the clos-
er you get. the worse it looks. Even the
'high res' cities aren't eye-watering. FU3
took a completely different approach; it
absolutely cannot match the geographical
diversity of the other game, but what it
does, it does very well. It primarily models
Washington state in excruciating detail,
accurate to four meters per pixel. An ‘outer
terrain' region of eight western states in
lower resolution fills out the flight map
(it's worth noting that you can also toad
in the California terrain from FU2). The
end result is that the scenery in this
game - including the spectacular weath-
er effects - just blows Microsoft away. It
becomes a 'quantity or quality' decision.

For those who like to watch their
flights from the outside, both simulations
do a really nice )ob on aircraft exteriors.

The camera control in FS2K is so cum-
bersome. however, that you might not
want to bother. Conversely, FU3 still has
one of the best cameras in the biz, which
makes flying from outside the cockpit a
real joy.

The bottom line is that FU3 s graphics
will delight those who fly these sims in a
VFR way, checking out the scenery and
special effects, FS2K will satisfy the instru-
ment pilots who spend most of their time
'heads down,' practicing IFR flying.

Tlie Learning Curve

These sims aren't FAA-authonzed flight
instructional programs, but both feature 'fly-
ing lessons," FS2K provides the more
detailed and effective approach. Rod
Machado, resident Flight Instructor for the
Aircraft Owners & Pilot's Association mag-
azine. guides you through the 15 'Learning
To Fly Tutorials’ (and offers to sell you his
book). Afterwards, you're ready to try the
lessons and check-rides. In the Lessons,
the instructor demos the learning objectives
and then allows you to try the maneuver.
Instructor feedback could be more exten-
sive. but what's there does help. The check-
rides allow you to earn flight ratings loosely
based on real-life counterparts, such as
Private or Commercial Pilot certificates. To
earn each rating, you take four lessons and
a check. Here, the examiner simply requests
a series of maneuvers. There is no feedback
and you can't progress until you satisfy the
silent examiner. It can be very frustrating, to
say the least.

FU3 has 26 flight training sorties in basic
and advanced flying, weather techniques,
and familiarization rides in four airplanes.
This training is in a very different style and
not nearly as effective. A lesson consists of
reading through instructional screens and
then riding along as an observer; the
instructor demos the maneuvers while ver-
bally instructing. The information is good,
but then you're flying solo. When you prac-
tice the ride, there's a total absence of
feedback or debriefing. FU3 has an excel-
lent air traffic control feature that the
Microsoft marketing moguls overlooked.

Out there in the real world, you have to

Caroline Bryan is a CFI [Certifieil
Flight Instrvctor) who teaches
out of Concord FBght
International in Califorma.

COMPUTER GAMINS WORIO • cgw.g,

• FEBRUARY 2000

129

VOUR MISSION:

Destroy the Russian war machine

YOUR (

Use whatever

YOUR CODENAME

Eagle

means necessary

Intercept enemy destroy

Zoom in for the kill

Intense tank battles

Available February 2000. Check It out at your local retailer, www.talonsoft.com or call
1-800-221-6504. ©Copyright 1999 PAN Interactive Publishing AB. Published byTalonSoft Inc.
TalonSoft is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Windows' 95 and Windows^ 98 are registered trademarks of Microsoft* Inc.

inftnice loop

FLIGHT UNLIMITED III vs FLIGHT SIMULATOR SGOO

RECOMMENDED

ment panel editor and additional AVIs - just
save your bucks. There really isn't an
excuse for releasing both these versions. At
best, the 'professional' version is the same
game with a patch; at worst, it's just a fee-
ble ploy to get an extra 1 5 bucks.

On the other hand, if you're looking for
the VFR )oy of flying. FLIGHT UNLIMITED 3
IS the handsdown winner. The Seattle-area
terrain and weather graphics are cutting
edge, and the rest of the graphics are
above standard. The interface is smooth
and easy, the flight models are decent, and
the ATC environment sets the current stan-
dard for excellence. It has weak areas, too
- primarily in flight instruction, limited cock-
pit views, simplified instrument panels, and
limited geography,

FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2000 is hogging my
hard drive. At this stage of my aviation
career, I like being able to practice my
annual checkride in the airplane I fly, at the
places I fly. FLIGHT UNLIMITED 3 is going
on the shelf for now. It doesn't take that
long to u ninsta ll one, and reinstall the other
anyway!

John Nolan is hooked on PC Flight
Simulations, owns a PT-19. and Hies
the 737-600 loi a major airline. His
wile's favorite song is "Mommas, don't
let your babies grow up to
be pilots."

both make radio calls and listen up to main-
tain situational awareness. FU3 has the
best ATC features of any sim to date, and it
adds a lot to the experience. Make a mis-
take, and the controllers will broadcast your
flaws to one and all; running off the taxiway
brings a reminder that 'you're not in an all-
terrain vehicle.' FU3's ATC is accurate,
timely, and funny.

What's up, Docs?

These programs are the Donald Trumps
of disk-space real estate; a 'Typical' install
on FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2000 uses 670MB,
of space, while the 'Full' install scarfs up
1.1 Gigs, FLIGHT UNLIMITED III is guilty of
greater gluttony, devouring 670 MB m
'Typical' and gorging on 2,1 Gigs in the
'Full' mode' The irritating part of this con-
quest of the drive is the space used to pro-
vide documentation. In the good old days,
flight sims came with thick 'how to' manu-
als. Game features and options, aircraft
checklists, and good real-world aviation
techniques were included. FS2K’s method
provides a 'bare bones' printed manual and
puts a ton of stuff on the CD. The CD isn't
an improvement; they didn't include a key-
chart. 'Popping up" the needed information
wipes out a chunk of the screen, and you
can't take it with you anywhere.

FU3 has an even smaller manual, which
IS in keeping with its 'don't worry, be
happy' outlook. Although small, the booklet
includes an abbreviated checklist and cock-

pit familiarization for four of the ten aircraft.
It also does a good job of explaining the
game interface. Thankfully, Looking Glass
provides a complete keyboard command
reference card - a real plus when program-
ming a stick and throttle. FU3 does more
with less, but there's room to improve.
There's no happy medium here - FS2K
puts too much information on the CD and
not enough in the manual, while FU3 could
use more in both places.

Face-off

Lastly, the human/machine interface
defines the difference m these two
games. FU3 is designed to be easy to
use. and sacrifices some detail to
accomplish that goal, Selecting an airport
and an aircraft, laying out a flight plan,
and creating some weather requires a
minimal number of mouse clicks and
takes about half as long as the preflight
in FS2K. FU3 is experience-oriented: it's
user-friendly, graphically glamorous, and
lots of fun. It does simplify flying to a
degree, almost like VFR barnstorming.

Call if 'the Great Waldo Pepper' of sims.

FS2K doesn't have a simple, intuitive
interface; it's more like a cumbersome
challenge. The reward for persistence is
depth. This sim allows you to tailor a
large number of variables to your own
specifications. FS2K is detail-obsessed,
and the result is an unwieldy yet capable
flight simulation. It covers a very wide spec-
trum of the civil aviation experi-
ence. Call it the "FAA of flight
sims;' it's only here to help, but it
can be a real pain.

You Make the Call

So which one of these space
hogs should get the coveted spot
on your hard drive"? That depends
on what attracts you to civil avia-
tion sims. Looking to improve your
VFR and IFR flying skills as either
a PC or a real-life pilot? FLIGHT
Simulator 2000 has to be your
choice. The world-wide scope,
higher cockpit detail, slightly more
accurate flight modeling, better
checklists, and superior instruction
make it an easy decision. The
downside is a clumsy interface, an
absolutely minimal ATC environ-
ment, and average 3D-terrain
graphics. As this goes to press,
FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2000
PROFESSIONAL EDITION has
arrived. Unless you're desperate
for two more prop planes, six more
'hi-res' cities, a flight model/instru-

COMPUTER 6 AMIN 6 WORIO • egw.g.

• FEBRUARY 2000

YovflRf eyiLDER^

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REVIEW

SRORTS

EA Sports Continues Its B-Bail Domination

Air Apparent

gener-
ation of NBA players is better. The Big 'O’
versus Grant Hill. Wilt versus Shaq. While
the old-timers don't have unique moves, the
nostalgia value alone will keep you playing.

Another new feature is the one-on-one
mode, something we haven’t seen from EA
in over 10 years. You can play one-on-one
against any NBA star, past or present. Work
on your game against the greats, and if you
really got game, challenge Michael Jordan
at the highest difficulty level. Hope you like
humble pie! With a franchise mode that
includes negotiations and free agent con-
tracts, along with a practice mode on the
black lop (available day or night), NBA LIVE
2000 offers an impressive array of options.

Throw in the multiplayer mode, allowing you
to play hotseat or over the Internet, and you
have one solid basketball simulation.

Along with the features comes the fast-paced, intense basketball
we have come to expect from this franchise. Given this emphasis on
action, play sets aren't as important as they
are in. say, Microsoft's INSIDE DRIVE.

However, you can definitely see shooters com-
ing off screens for the jumpshot, and big men
fighting for post position before they drop-step
dunk on you. Passing the ball is a snap, which
allows you to whip the ball around the perime-
ter for the easy score. Shooting does require a
little practice; after building many a house with
wayward bricks, I finally learned that practice
does make perfect. A variety of dribble moves,
including a killer crossover and behind the
back dribble, add spice to your drives.

The most frustrating part of the game is
rebounding. Time and time again the comput-
er would beat me to the ball, no matter how

CGW RATED

'PBDS

Michael Jordin;
airtime aK-star
teams; one-on-one
mode; last-paced
gameplay.

CONS

Cheesy crowd
graphics; no play-
book; difficult

good my position or how high I jumped.
Watching the computer grab four straight
offensive rebounds is no fun. But this tougher
Al makes the game more enjoyable. The com-
puter will block shots, double-team your high scorer, press at any
time, and even foul when behind, all of which add up to closer, more
intense games.

Final Buzzer

The NBA is driven by its stars, and so is this game. The top players
dominate, from Shaq's bull-rushes to the basket to Reggie Miller's
rainbow jumper. The tight graphics are capable of rendering notice-
able differences in player faces and physiques, and even details like
Kobe Bryant's elbow pad and Patrick Ewing's trademark kneepads.
And Dr, J's afro will strike awe in the hearts of all who behold it.

The only element truly lacking is the crowd, which is rendered in 2-
D and looks like paper cutouts lying down. But this is such a minor
flaw when put up against the complete package. The customizable
regular season and playoff options, stunning graphics, great game-
play, and, of course, the roster of classic players give N BA LIVE 2000
what it needs to totally dominate its competition and continue EA
Sports' championship b-ball dynasty. Long may it reign.

Y ou're down two with eight seconds left. Having just called
timeout, you review your options. Should you hit Wilt down
low. or Jerry West coming off the screen? Wait a minute. Wilt?
Jerry West? Are you dreaming'’ Nope, EA Sport's latest installment in
Its basketball series has all the old timers, and tons of new features
and options, along with sizzling graphics and in-your-face gameplay.

Simply the Best

The essence of NBA LIVE 2000 is in its players. And it has a
bunch, Not only does it boast all of the current NBA players, this
year’s batch of rookies included, but it also has a slew of all-time
great teams. Borrowing a page from its cousin, the Madden football

franchise, all-star teams from the

50's through the 90's are here,
including the greatest all-star of
all time - Michael Jordan, You
can now settle those debates
you've had with your dad about
whose

NBA LIVE

reviewed by trie Jones

Requirefnenta; ftfiDum 166MHz 90MB hafd diln space. Qiacl X 6.1. Reconuaended Requirernents; PenOum SODMHz g taslei. 1B5MB haid dim space,
30 Support Glide and DiecOa Muib'piayer Support 2 playeis hoiseai 2-8 playtis owi IPX and Inisinet. 1 CD pei playei.

Pitiisher: Electronic Arts • Developer: EA Sports • $40 • www.easports.com • ESRB HaOng: Everyone

134

rCBRUARr 301

pat. com • COMPUTEfl 6AMIN6 WORLQ

"One of the most impressive driving sims
I’ve loaded on my computer.”
-IRL Insider Magazine

Th( world's never seen a dirt track racing game - until now.

The physics are real and the competition is fierce. With 30 tracks and 18 cars, your racing career depends on
accumulated prize money, car upgrades and aggressive driving. Get your car in gear or get off the track.

www.wizardworks.com

RAjBaG ISIS!

BOM

. Published aiKtiSsWHAea by WizariMofks, a QTIrilerac&v« Software CompanyJM^ Ihe IMCA logo are mleredtmdemari^dlhe Interzonal UolorCorleslAssxi’alion. All hghlsreseived. A! other liademsrks are tie pn^ierty of their respectoow^
Quaker State, Guiixxjl, Badr Magic, The Outlaw, Sick 50 and Snap are regstered Irademarks ol Pennzoi-Quaker Slate Company, usu under litense.

REVIEW ACTION

|[\rTERSTATE ‘82 Is a Dull, Soulless Retread

Through Being Cool

INTERSTATE 'B2

['i- reviev/ed by Jeff Green

CGW RATED

‘pftas

^ Great stoniiine;

I hilarious cut*

; scenes; good act-

1 ing-

CONS

Bland graphics;
tedious missions;
rote, generic

W e have before us a car wreck. It Is not a pretty sight. The
name of this wreck is INTERSTATE ‘62. I'm not exactly sure
what happened here, but, judging from the scattered debris,
it appears that Activision - in a flabbergasting display of bad deci-
sion-making and timidity - has taken one of the best games of the
decade, INTERSTATE '76, stripped it of everything cool and unique,
and left this, ..thing. ..behind as a sequel. Let's examine the wreckage.

Gut Feeling

r76 was set in an alternate-universe 1970's-era America, a Mad
Max-\an place where “auto-vigilantes" roamed the streets in heavily-
weaponed vehicles. The concept was pulled off brilliantly, with a
clever 1 970’s-TV look, awesome funk

soundtrack, and - most importantly -
deep and unique gameplay that
crossbred auto sims and shooters.

r82 reintroduces the main charac-
ters - with new 80's-era clothing and
hairdos - and tells a new story:

Groove Champion is missing, and his
sister has hired you - Taurus - to
find him. As in the first game, the
story is told with wit and cinematic flair, evolving into a hilarious riff on
the “Contragate" scandal. It'd make a great movie.

Unfortunately, there is a game to be played too, and here, it's just
one bummer after another. r76’s gameplay has been completely gut-
ted. What used to involve an engrossing mix of semi-realistic driving
skills and combat strategy has been reduced to a one-dimensional,
cut-rate, first-person shooter, in cars, Damage modeling is gone,
replaced by a generic “health bar." Both you and your enemies can
shoot and be hit
anywhere, with no
local consequence,

Tires stay intact, lights don’t blow out, and nei-
ther your speed nor control seem to alter no
matter how much damage you’ve suffered.
Terrain doesn’t seem to exist. You'll drive at the
same speed, with the same feel, whether you’re
on a paved road, dirt, or.. .in a river. Crashes
bear no resemblance to reality - and the impact
is the same whether you crash into a building,
cliff, or circus tent.

Car salvaging has been revamped for the
worse. In r76, there was a tactical advantage in
fighting conservatively, because you could sal-
vage your enemies' vehicles for spare parts.
Here, in some bass-ackwards leap of logic, you receive cash only
after you destroy your enemies’ cars. Where this money comes from,
and how you are supposed to have applied your upgrades between
missions, goes conveniently unexplained.

Shrivel Up

Add to all this the inexplicable removal of a dashboard view, and
you get the feeling that Activision was determined to make sure you
did not feel like you were in a car af all. What they wanted, it seems,
was a mainstream shooter, without all that complicated “car stuff.”

The problem is, there are lots of great shooters out right now, so if
you’re going to compete, you better offer something vital and original.
But INTERSTATE ‘82 doesn't even come close.

The missions are tedious, repetitive, and unimaginative. There isn’t
one level that's better than any in r76. It's basically just run-and-gun,
over and over. The environments are unimaginative and generic, and
the graphics in certain areas - like Las Vegas - are almost embar-
rassing in their lack of complexity and detail. The weapons are uni-
formly uninteresting, with utterly feeble visual effects, The perfunctory
nature of all the gameplay, really, is just hard to believe.

it's a real shame. Activision, seeking a larger audience, has taken a
great franchise and gutted it of all the originality that made it a hit in
the first place. They may not have intended it this way, but what
they've done is made a perfect tribute to the 1 980’s: a mechanical,
soulless, product, with more of an eye on making a buck than on hav-
ing a good time. Someone call a tow truck. 23U

Requirements; PenL'uni 200MHz. 32MB RAM. AODMB hard drive space. 3B accelerator required. Recomniand^d Bequirerneitis: Peritiuin-ll 3D0 MHz, BAMBRAM,
7D0MB lianl drive space. 3D Support: Direct3D Multiplayer Support: Irlsniel LAN.

Publisher: Activision • $S0 • www.actrvision.com • ESRB Rating; Teen, animated blood and violence.

FEBRUARY 2000 •

im • COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

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Diamond Monster Sound™ MX300
56K V.90 Internal Modem
Toshiba 40X CD ROM
Microsoft Intellimouse’” PS/2
Keytronics 104 Key Keyboard
1 .44mb Floppy Drive
ATX Mid Tower Case
250 Watt Power Supply

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Cambridge PC Works
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Cambridge FPS2000 5 Piece
Digital Speaker Set - S176
Optiquest Q71 17“ Monitor • S244
Optiquest Q95 1 9“ Monitor - S370

Microsoft Windows™ 98 SE
Bootable System Recovery CD
Falcon Everglide’” Mousepad

AMD Athlon™ 550/WHr Processor
IBM 13.5 GB. 7200RPM Drive
128MB PC100 SDRAM. 7ns
3dfx Voodoos™ 3000, 166MHz
Diamond Monster Sound™ MX300
56K V.90 Internal Modem
Toshiba 40X CD ROM
Microsoft Intellimouse’” PS/2
Keytronics 104 Key Keyboard
1.44mb Floppy Drive
ATX Mid Tower Case
250 Watt Power Supply
Microsoft Windows’" 98 SE
Bootable System Recovery CD
Falcon Everglide™ Mousepad

REVIEW SRORTS

The Crown Slides Off the Head of the King of Computer Golf

Mulligan Stew

T he ancestry of the LINKS golf simulations can he traced all the
way back to the days when the Apple II was king. Over the
years, the LINKS games have been the one constant in the
volatile sports sim world, a franchise that you could always count on.

So it's more than a little disappointing that LINKS LS 2000, the latest
game in the line, appears to be a meager repackaging of its prede-
cessor (LINKS LS 99} with just the barest minimum of additions nec-
essary to justify the new package and name.

Tee it Up

Let's start with the basics, and here LINKS LS 2000 accounts for
itself quite well. A golf sim lives and dies on its ball physics, and
LINKS LS 2000 maintains the

FUZZY WUZZY Fuzzy Zoeller uses some body english on a
short par 3.

re V i e w E d ' b y J e f f ' L a c k

stellar ball physics models of its
predecessors. Sand play - criti-
cized in the LINKS series in the
past - now requires the player
to adjust his swing to either

the ball or explode into

' ■ ■ ■ " the sand, making bunker play a

trickier proposition. The core

golf simulation is as good or better than anything on the market.

The graphics, once awe-inspiring, haven't changed much at all in
the last couple years. They're still quite good, but compared to the
3D-rendered graphics of recent competitors, they have a "flat" look.
The swing interface includes the venerable two- and three-click
modes, and the Powerstroke. The latter is a mouse swing, very versa-
tile, but with one major drawback: It’s not in real time (as opposed to
the real-time mouse interface in PGA 99).

Multiplayer is excellent, with every type of online play available
(include the MSN Gaming Zone) and multitudes of potential oppo-
nents online at all times.

The Back Nine

So, what's new in LINKS LS 2000? Six courses are included: the
St. Andrews Old, New, and Jubilee courses; Covered Bridge
(Indiana); and the Hawaiian courses Mauna Kea and Hapuna. St.
Andrews Old and Mauna Kea were available in previous versions, so
you essentially get four new courses. None of the new courses are
anything to write home about; they’re fairly straightforward and have
nothing unique enough in their design to compel you to play them
multiple times. And this leads to perhaps the key area In which LINKS

LS 2000 trails the competition: JACK NICKLAUS: GOLDEN BEAR
CHALLENGE and PGA 99 include course-designing tools, which are
used by very talented designers to create a plethora of breathtaking,
free courses. With LINKS LS 2000, you must purchase new courses,
and even then some of the most desirable venues (such as Augusta)
aren't available. Since a major pleasure of golfing is playing new
courses, LINKS LS 2000 takes an immediate hit in value compared to
its competitors.

What else is new? You get a few new modes of play, but since the
'99 version included a mode-of-play designer, that’s nothing to get
excited about. An "Easy Swing” is included, requiring only one click,
but it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to stick with that interface for
more than a game or two. New commentators add a nice variety of
new quips and observations.

The 19th Hole

If you own LINKS LS 99, there's no compelling
reason to purchase this version, if you don’t own a
golf sim, while LINKS LS 2000 is a good golf game,
the wealth of free courses available for JACK
NICKLAUS and PGA ‘99 make it hard to recom-
mend LINKS LS 2000 over them. PC golfers can
only hope that the next incarnation in this venerable
series offers something substantially new. K'iVi

138

FEBRUARY 2000

COMPUTER GRMINC VUORLD

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REVIEW ACTIOIM-AIDVEIMTURE

This Wannabe Spookfest Is More Count Floyd Than Count Dracula

The Horror, the Horror

D isappointment and computer gaming often go together. We've
all felt it. Sometimes it's that TRESPASSER kind of hurt that hits
from the very first level, and doesn't let go. Sometimes it’s a
creeping sensation that gradually lets you know that you've been
wasting your time. Since that impression only comes after several
butt-numbing hours with the game in question, it’s easily the worst
kind of letdown.

NOCTURNE, an action-horror

hybrid, falls into the latter category.
While it starts out with a promising
blend of pistol-blazing action, clas-
sic monsters, and pulp-fiction
accoutrements, design problems
and an overall lack of inspiration
its early promise.

IVOCTURNE

reviewed by Brett Todd

Strange Days

The initial storyline, at least, is
gripping. You play the Stranger, a
mysterious agent working in the
'20s and ’30s for a secret organiza-
tion known as “The Spookhouse."

Its purpose? To protect citizens
from evil, supernatural forces -
meaning vampires, werewolves,
zombies, and other horrors. The
best way to protect folks is to blow
said beasties away, so the Stranger
and his Spookhouse companions
pack all manner of weapons,
including crossbows, sub-machine
guns, and a sunlight cannon that
dusts vampires. Each of the four
acts - which are self-contained and
can be played in any order - fea-
tures more scraps than scares. If
you're looking for traditional horror
atmosphere, you won’t find it here.

You also won't find any enjoyable

CGW RATED^

PROS

I Exciting, spooky ***
i blend of action
! and horror; beau-
tiful graphics and
sound.

CDNS

: Annoying controls;
: pointless and
repetitive combat;
some graphic
glitches; massive
system require-

gameplay. Basic movements are frustrating.
Picking up objects, descending stairs, and
even opening doors requires the Stranger to
be in exactly the proper position. The game is
littered with unintentional obstacles. The most
obvious nuisance is the rotating camera. As
the point-of-view switches constantly to the
“spookiest” angle, it often leaves the protago-
nists behind. Battles are carried out, but you'll
see nothing but flailing monster arms and the
flash of the Stranger’s pistols. Attacks typically
require you to replay them with the camera in
mind, making sure to stay out of the “blind
spots" that bring up the impossible views.

In some ways, this doesn’t matter. Combat
is ridiculously simple, requiring just ammunition
and a quick trigger finger. As long as you
stumble across most of the ammo scattered

throughout each mission, conquer-
ing the monsters of NOCTURNE is
a matter of drawing and shooting.
Over and over again. It gets
tedious very quickly.

Who Knows What Evil Lurks tn
the Hearts of Developers?

nocturne's lone saving grace
is the pulp-horror setting. Terminal
Reality has crafted one great-look-
ing title, full of old castles, misty
fields, and creepy caverns.
Everything is decrepit and corrupt,
and this extends to the monstrous
opposition, which does provide
goosebumps; I jumped out of my
skin the first time a vampire bride
appeared behind me.

Yet while the settings look good,
their design leaves much to be desired. Many scenes simply end,
with obvious passages blocked off by invisible walls. Others aren't
fully visible, forcing blind exploration that often leads to a deadly
plunge. Charaoter animations are clumsy. With his guns drawn, the
Stranger leaps about like Michael “Lord of the Dance” Flatley, Tough
to be scared when you’re laughing so hard. Character modeling
doesn't include facial animation, so when characters discuss a case
in tedious detail, they apparently do so while throwing their voices.

And then there's the monstrous system requirements. Running in
hardware-accelerated mode requires 96MB of RAM and a 32-bit
video card. Millions of Voodoo owners out there are stuck in software
mode. Your card also has to have 32MB on board to get resolutions
higher than 640x480. A proper installation will take up more than a
gig on your hard drive. This is one game that costs much more than
the sticker on the box reads.

When you get right down to it, only those starved for a horror
game will consider NOCTURNE a worthwhile purchase. The pulp-hor-
ror concept is attractive, but the execution is horrific. Kd'.V

Requirements: PonliJin II, Celemr. Pefitiuni-lll. Gr AMD Athlon GPU: BAMB HAM (96MB required for 3D accelomlion); 50DMB hant drive s|iaco. Rncottim
Requirements: Pemluni II or lll/Celemn/Alhlon elADOMHz; 128MB RAMilGB haul iIiIvg space. 3D Siippurt: DltDct3D Multiplayer Support None

Publisher: Gathering of Developers • Developer: Terminal Reality • $40 * VAWv.godgames.com • ESRB Rating: Mature

FEBRUARY 2000 <

I • COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

Be hurled — at BreakNeck speed — into thf
stunning racing environments ever seen oi|^a PC!

Race to the death with over 40 vehicles,
across 24 tracks in 8 ditferent scenarios.

Feel the road under your wheels and the
thunderous recoil as you unleash missiles
ot mass destruction upon your opponents.

SouthPeak Interactive • One Research Drive • Cary, NC USA 2750 ■ tel

0 1999 SouthPeak Interactive LUC. All rights reserved. SouthPeak Interactive and the SouthPeak Interactive logo are trademarks or re
of SouthPeak Interactive LLC. ® Indicates U.S.A. reeistration. Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of thi
BreakNeck© 1999 THQ Inc. BreakNeck, BreakNeck logo, THO and.THQ logo are trademarks of THQ Inc, All rights reserved

SOUTHPEAK”

INTERACTIVE

HEVlipW SIMUUATIOIM

FLANKER 2.0 Doesn’t Do Much, but Does It Very Well

From Russia With Love

FLANKER 2.

reviewed by Tom Chick

F lanker 2.0 is not an ambitious flight sim. It doesn't try to model
a ground war, and It doesn’t even model an air war so much as a
single sortie. There is no attempt to make a fully-interactive cock-
pit. The only communication is the scant wingman interaction. If has
only the barest of excuses for a campaign mode. There are no carrier
ops - just a floating carrier-shaped block you can land on. Even the
sound effects are almost apologetically muted. There is a feeiing that
the development team wasn’t ready to do anything dramatic after the
original FLANKER, and this lack of ambition is at once this sim's
greatest weakness and its greatest strength.

It's a weakness, because many hardcore flight simmers - who are
the obvious target audience for this in-depth and complex sim - have
been spoiled by the great ambition that has driven recent sim devel-

opment, from successes like

JANE’S F-15 and EUROPEAN AIR
WAR to disappointments such as
FLY! and FALCON 4.0. Compared
to what those sims have achieved
(or tried to achieve), FLANKER 2.0
seems downright lazy.

Like the original title, it's set in

the Crimea, an uvula of land dangling in the Black Sea. It only models
a single aircraft, the Su-27 Flanker (the included Su-33 is just a vari-
ant), in fully-scripted tactical situations. It doesn’t even have a random
mission generator. The included single-player scenarios are good for
nuggets of practice and isolated combat experiences, but the cam-
paign is full of brick walls and annoying puzzle missions that require
repeated playing to succeed. Luckily, the FLANKER series has accu-
mulated a robust fan base, so the flexible and easy-to-use scenario
editor guarantees that lots of user-made campaigns and missions will
be available on the Internet.

The lack of ambition is also a strength, in that it gives the game a
tight focus and a distinctive flavor that's often lost when a sim tries to
accomplish too much. There’s an obvious affection for this battle-
hardened Russian aircraft that you won’t find in any F-22 sim. From
the Cyrillic characters on the HUD, to the flight model's attention to
the aircraft’s stunning aerodynamic capabilities, to the sometimes
unwieldy analog cockpit, FLANKER 2.0 is equal parts ode and sim.

The graphics are some of the best you'll find in the latest genera-
tion of sims. The 3D engine doesn't have the

NO HABLAS RUSKIE? if you're afraid of the Cyrillic alpha-
bet, the HUO does English.

philosophy, as the fluid control and quick responses are some of the
signatures of the original. The cloud effects are easily as good as
FLY! or JANE’S WORLD WAR II FIGHTERS. After flying a mission, you
can enjoy the visuals at your leisure by playing FLANKER’S trademark
“.trk" files, which are still excellent tools for training and mission analy-
sis. They’re even better than FALCON 4.0’s ACM I for aesthetic value
and available information.

Although there’s a beefy manual and thorough in-game tutorials,
there are surprising gaps in the documentation; there’s no information
on wingmen interaction, the unintuitive padlock system, or the
Byzantine mechanics of playing through the campaign, it’s a difficult
enough sim for hardcore players to learn, much less someone trying
their first (or even second or

third) flight sim. This is an
uncompromising toy for
grownups, and though it may
be limited in scope, its insight
is so thorough and its realism
so unflinching that it more than
makes up for its small arena,

LIGHT SHOW Fdx two,
flares, and a full moon.

CGW RATED

PHDS

i/ivid and thorough
simulation of the
SU‘27; lush graph-
ics; unflinching
realism.

Stilted campaign
and single-player
missions; minimal
wingman interac-
tion; patchwork
documentation. .

1 Requirements; Penliurr 2D0MIIZ. 32MD RAM. DiretAX-compallblB 3D canl. Bx GD-HOM. Recommended R(

1 30 Support; DlraclX-campatibio 3D canl leqiiirEd. Multiplayer Support; 2-16 players via UN or Internet

:quireinents; Pctiliiini SODMHz. 64 MB RAM. 1

Publisher: SSI • Developer; Eagle Dynamics • $45 • www.flanker2.com • ESRB Rating; Ev

ryone

n • CDW.gamespDt.com
i

14a

FEBRUARY ZDQi

• COMPUTER GAMING VUORID

HE WHO DARES WINS!

MISSION DISK

9 New Exciting Missions
More Real WWII Locations
All New Weapons & Vehicles!
Available Spring 2000

www.talonsoft.com /

Available Spring 2000. Check it out at your local retailer, www.laionsoll.com or call 1-800-21 1-6504
Copyright © 1999 by TalonSoft Inc. All rights reserved. TalonSoft’“ is a registered trademark of TalonSoft Inc.
TalonSoft is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

REVIEW

Rai_E-RI_AYIiMG

Infogrames’ Console-Style RPG Is Good, but No FINAL FANTASY

Silver Takes the Bronze

SILVER

J apanese-style RPGs, while popular on consoles, have been woe-
fully underrepresented on the PC. Those few that have been
released are mostly shareware efforts or unembellished conver-
sions of console titles, FINAL FANTASY VII being the most notable
example. Infogrames has attempted to fill this gap with SILVER - a
purported “FINAL FANTASY killer" designed specifically for the PC -
and the result is a decent, often entertaining game.

Less Filling

Silver plays out on pre-rendered, 3D backgrounds through which
you must guide polygonal characters. The environments are essential-
ly static bitmaps. They look good for the most part, and some are
spectacular, but everything lends to have an overly-clean feel that
FINAL FANTASY VII managed to
avoid. I

Spiral House, the game's devel-
opers, has chosen to streamline the
traditional console RPG, removing
EMmUUlflKflUJlilB many standard elements. Thankfully
gone are the thousands of random
encounters typical to the genre.

Instead, most screens are stocked with monsters that must be
fought only once. The exits to each area are sealed during combat
and reopen only when all enemies have been defeated. VVhile this
feature removes much of the tedium associated with this type of
game, the finite number of available battles makes open-ended stat
building virtually impossible.

SILVER does include character stats and levels, but eliminates I
experience points completely. Levels are gained by reaching key plot
points and defeating boss monsters. Only a few instances exist
where extra levels can be accrued “out of sequence" with the story.

In general, you are kept in strict parity with your foes. This feature
fends to dilute the sense of escalating power that is a key draw of
RPGs, but the discarding of an endless series of uneventful brawls
makes it more than worth it.

The fights themselves occur in real-time and are very fun. Melee
attacks are launched with the mouse as controller, with various mouse
movements resulting in different thrusts and slashes. The number of
moves is kept to a reasonable five, and each has its own obvious use.
Once the control is mastered - and this doesn’t take long - the bat-
tles become both more exciting and more tactical than your average
turn-based fare, which, strategic pretensions aside, tend to degener-
ate into an endless attack/heal/repeat loop. Because you’re free to
move around each environment, positional
advantage becomes a big factor and many of
the battles are staged as mini-puzzles in which
features of the landscape must be exploited to
win the skirmish.

BOSS ATTACK! I'm the little green guy. Where are my two
pals? Probably standing around like idiots in that pillar of flame.

'f*

cow RATED

PROS

Innovative, fun

combat system.
CONS

Poor control for
multiple charac-
ters; story
becomes pre-
dictable and
tedious.

CONTROL FREAKOUT Controlling more
than one character at once isn’t too bad, until you actu- / ^
ally have to fight something. 1

wouldn't be bad if
they were as intelli-
gently autonomous
as Grandad, but
you’re expected to
control everyone.
Unless you've got
unusually evolved
hand-eye coordina-
tion, you'll eventually
end up using one character to kill everything, while the other two
stand motionless as monsters hit them over the head with clubs.

Silver's story is an equally big problem. The plot starts out well
and is bolstered by some excellent voice acting and loopy plot twists,
but simply runs out of surprises long before the end. This is a critical
Haw in a game that has consciously pared away many of the game-
play elements that compose the bulk of other entries in the field.

Silver is an RPG simplified by the removal of much of the com-
plex stat-based baggage of its brethren. It’s a good idea that almost
works. Infogrames has come close to successfully creating a new
sub-genre - one based on fun fast-action battles mixed with rich
story. It's fun enough while the story remains compelling, and even if
you find yourself unmotivated to complete the entire quest, you'll at
least enjoy the ride to the halfway point.

With Friends Like These...

For the first few hours of play, SILVER'S
story is completely linear. Your grandfather
accompanies you throughout this beginning
section, controlled by the computer, and he's
generally pretty helpful. Later in the game,
you’re saddled with up to two companions
who you must control yourself. This feature

Requirsments; Penliuni lEBMHz. 32MB BAM. I60M5 hard drive spau. RecommendBil Requiretneots: Pentum-ll 233MH2, B4MB RAM. 3D Support None
Multiplayer Support; None

Publisher: Infogrames • Developer: Spiral House • $40 • www.infogrames.CQm • ESRB Rating: Teen; animated violence.

FEBRUARY 2030 •

' COMPUTER EAMINC WORLD

History’s greatest generals
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Whv should vou?

victory. With the new mission-based play option the
action is faster and more suspensefid than ever as
players race to conquer continents. And with the
ability to bid for territories, add new territories, and
map extra attack connections, you'll need to use more
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Dominate on a global scale with the greatest version of
Risk ever, Risk n! The classic game of strategy is back
with all new simultaneous-turn play mode. No more
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the Internet. Talk to your enemies, form alliances, use
diplomacy, and mercilessly backstab your way to

1 '

REVIEW

ROLE-PLAYIIMG

REVENAIMT Is a Middling DIABLO Clone That Burns Out Early

Alive and Dead

Who Wrote This?

The first problem is the story itself. Maybe it’s just because I fre-
quently read books that don't have lots of pictures, but 1 found the
plot to be completely predictable and fairly trite. While the plot in a
game rarely makes or breaks a title, it doesn't help when you can fig-
ure a story

REVENAIMT

out from the
very begin-
ning, with not
one notable
twist along
the way.

The other

major problems are related to REVENANT's
interface, The inventory system is not too bad
until you accumulate a significant number of
items, at which point scrolling through the tiny
inventory window becomes a chore. Even
worse, there’s no method for identifying the
items you have in inventory, if you can equip an
item, you can get a description of the item's
attributes from the character window.

Otherwise, you’ll have to either drop the item
and pick it up again, or memorize the appear-
ance of all of the potions, keys, and equipment
you carry.

The spell system fares no better, as you must manually scroll
through all the spell descriptions to find the spell you want. You can
hotkey up to four spells, and given the amount of time it takes to
scroll through all of
them, those that
you have hot-keyed
will likely be the
only spells you'll

I’M ALL BROKE UP This boss is
very tough, ss both halves of Locke will confirm.
The boss fights are actually one of the highlights
of the game. Due to the huge number of hit
points these goliaths have, they make for some
very long and challenging battles.

CBW RATED

W hat we have in REVENANT is a product that follows the all-
too'familiar DIABLO formula. While several elements have
deviated from the norm, only some of them are actual
improvements, The rest gradually work to erode what could have
been a very good product. Like so many relationships, my affair with
REVENANT started hot and heavy but cooled quickly once I got to
know it better.

use in combat,

Of course, this isn't a
game of inventory manage-
ment, so you should know
that while these problems
are certainly annoying, they
don't make the game
unplayable. In fact,
REVENANT comes out of
the gate like a hellhound.
Rather than opting for the
“click on your enemy until
he dies" method of combat, Eidos implemented a combat-control
system that more closely resembles a console game than most PC
dungeon romps. You've got three standard attack buttons and three
combo buttons.

Combinations of these yield additional moves, once you learn them
from your teacher in town. The first time Locke finished off a spider
by stomping on its head and grinding it under his heel, I thought that
this was going to be an outstanding game. After 50 spiders had
been dispatched the same way, it lost some of its luster.

This is the biggest problem with most elements in the game: They
are great at first, but wear thin rather quickly. Add to the mix the inter-
face problems, a story that nosedives almost immediately, and puzzle
elements that are frequently tedious and redundant, and you've got a
recipe for disaster,

Nice variety of
combat moves;
pretty graphics.

CONS

Horrible story;
sloppy interface
design; terrible

You Bore Me

So, while REVENANT initially generates a decent amount of excite-
ment and fun, it just doesn't carry it throughout the game. By the time
you reach the end, you aren’t surprised to find one of the lamest clos-
ing scenes in recent gaming history. If you are hungering for an action
RPG, have a high tolerance for redundancy, and don’t care about the
backstory, you may want to look at REVENANT. Those looking for a
deeper gaming experience should look elsewhere - or keep waiting
for DIABLO II. G33

inventory and
spell management

Reituireoenta: Poitiuin 233MHz. 32MD RAM. AOOMB haul drive space, 3D acccleralar. Rscommeiuted Bsquinements: Penlium-ll 300MHz 6AMB RAM.
30 Support DirecISD Ualtiplayer Sopport laterret. LAN. nodem: up lo 4 playeis, 1 CD per player.

Publisher; Eidos Interactive * Developer: Cinematix « S40 • www.eidosgames.coni

ESRB Rating: Teen; animated blood and violence, suggestive themes.

148

FEBRUARY 2000

:sw. gamBspat.com • COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

Sound

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property of their respective holders. If you’re not on the net, give us a call et 800.998^1000 for more information.

REVIEW

SIIVIUI-ATIOIMS

MIG ALLEY Takes You Back to the Beginning of Jet Combat

Birth of an Era

MIG ALLEY

reviewed by Jeff Lackey

Migs and Sabres

Right sims today typically come in two flavors: “survey" sims, offer-
ing a large number of aircraft while compromising on realism; and

hardcore sims that focus on one

plane, but promise extreme fidelity.
M!G ALLEY breaks that mold: You
oan pilot an F-51 , F-86, F-84, F-
80, or a MiG-1 5, yet the flight
model is uncompromisingly realis-
tic. You can toggle off a wide
range of flight characteristics, such
as buffeting, stress effects, or realistic spool-up if you're a novice,
and yank and bank to your heart's content. However, if you want to
experience a true simulation of flying these aircraft, toggle everything
to full realism and you will be treated to a flight model as realistic as
anything on the market. Everything from torque effects in the props to
the reality of available power exceeding the yield stress of the air-
frame (you can tear the wings off your plane with high-stress maneu-
vers) is modeled. Damage modeling is also fop notch. While the visu-
als for aircraft damage don't accurately portray the specifics, you'll
find that a damaged wing will lose lift,
an injured engine will struggle to keep
you in the air (and perhaps burst into
flames), a shredded rudder will make
maneuvering a struggle, and so on.

The artificial intelligence is superb for
both the enemy and your wingmen. You
can set the range of skills for both
enemy and friendly pilots such that you
will never be
sure of whether
the MiG pilot

you are chasing is a rookie - ripe for the
plucking - or an ace who is about to teach
you a lesson or two. In addition, your friendly
computer pitots don’t require the micro-man-
agement necessary in so many other flight
sims: They fly and fight smart. Your wingman
will cover your tail when requested, and the
rest of your flight will only holler for help when
they really need it. The enemies can be down-
right crafty. You can’t help but smile when you
think you have a MiG dead to rights, centered
in your sights, and doing little to evade - only
to find you've been suokered as his wingman
slips behind you and shreds your Sabre. And
that smile will turn into a wicked grin when an

CGW RATED

Great flight mod-
els; superb
dynamic cam-
paign; fascinating
mix of props and
jets; huge, intense

unshakeable MiG on your tail suddenly
explodes, as your wingman slips behind
him and teaches him not to pick on his
partner!

The Sights and Sounds of War

A great flight model and first-class computer opponents are critical
to a sim's success, but you also expect today's sims to look and
sound great, and MIG ALLEY passes this test also. The terrain graph-
ics are OK - maybe even good - but not spectacular. However, the
aircraft themselves are absolutely beautiful, including unit markings
and nose art that you can import. Cockpits, at 1024x768 resolution,
are sharp and authentic. Little touches add to this authenticity: for
example, your forward canopy will become grimy as the sortie pro-
gresses. Reflections are seen on your oockpit, and reflections off of
enemy cockpits in the distance are often the first clue of their pres-
ence. Sounds are also satisfying, including the spooling up of the
engines and the creaking of the airframe as it protests against the
extreme stress you place upon it. Radio chatter is first-rate, realistical-
ly exciting in battle without going over the top and sounding too
"Hollywood."

Requirements: Windows 95/S8. Pentium 168 MHl 32 MB HftM. 400 MB hard drive space, BX CO HOM. Recommended Requtremenis: Pentium II. I2X CO-ROM.
OSD video card. 3B Support Dltect3D Multiplayer Support: 2 to B players via TCP/IP, IPX. modem, serial.

Publisher: Empire Interactive • Developer: Rowan Software • $40 • www.eiiiplre-us.com * ESRB Hating: Everyone

i t was a conflict coined “The Forgotten War,” yet it was one of the
most fascinating eras in the history of air combat. The Korean
War saw the birth of widespread jet combat. Prop vs. jet was
common, and new jet vs. jet tactics were developed on a daily basis.
The fighter pilot had more power available to him than ever before,
but the fighting was still up close and personal. No radar-guided mis-
siles here, bucko; combat was eyeball to eyeball, guns only. This is
the era that MIG ALLEY portrays, and it does it so well as to make the
game an instant classic.

150

FEBRUARY 2000 • cgw.g;

im • COMPUTER GAMING WORLO

REVIEW

IFR Cockpit pauges are authentic and sharp looking.

The gun camera is a very welcome feature. The camera can be set
to record the action either all the time, or only when you press your
trigger. The recorded footage can be replayed with a full set of VCR-
type controls, and the "film” can be recorded in either authentic
black-and-white or full color. The ability to record and replay your
flight comes in particularly handy with this sim, as it is common to
enter into a 36 on 36 plane furbail, resulting in more action than you
can process during the fight (“where did THAT guy come from?”).

Scores of planes in the air - and yet the frame rate is normally silky
smooth. I say normally, because there is an occasional “stutter” in the
graphics. There are also a handful of other minor graphics glitches,
crashes, and bugs that should keep the game's developer busy for a
while. But they've come a long way from the U.K, version already, and
they seem to have a genuine interest in continuing to improve the
product.

A Campaign To Die For

Great Al, great flight models, top-notch sounds and graphics - but
they would all go to waste if the environment in which you fly and
fight was sub-par, Not to worry; Believe it or not, I've saved the best
for last. As you might expect, you can fly in one-on-one missions that
are a breeze to set up, and there's a quick-action option that throws
you into the fray at the touch of a mouse button. It's a tribute to how
good this simulation is that both of those modes are extremely enjoy-
able - in fact, almost addictive. But the campaign in MIG ALLEY is
more than icing on the cake; it's a whole new course. There are five
campaigns, but only the fifth, The Spring Offensive, is truly dynamic,

In the Spring Offensive, you have complete strategic and tactical
control in the air war over Korea. You can control as much or as little
as you like. For example, you can simply change target priorities and
let the computer plan the missions. However, the interface makes it
easy to jump in and plan every sortie, every bombing mission, every
escort and BARCAP, and so on. You can control how many of what
type of plane will fly each sortie, the timing of the routes, the forma-

tion and attack strategy, and much more. Examine the map and
decide whether you think you should commit your limited air
resources towards taking out enemy airbases - or perhaps destroy-
ing the supply depots will slow down the enemy incursion. You're in
charge of all the strategic decisions, and then you can drop yourself
into whichever plane you want to fly during the mission. There's
enough depth, flexibility, and variety here to give this sim spectacular
replayability, as you develop new strategies and try them out.

If you have any interest in flight sims, you owe it to yourself to try
MIG ALLEY, This is one of those rare sims that gets it all right, result-
ing in a flight sim that others will be measured against for years to
come, S32]

^ Tite foltaiwing links are great resources :vi campaign
1 planning in MtG ALLEY:

■g vtfww.frugalsworld.com/mig'guide.shtml
^ : www.camtiatsim.com/litm/sept99/mig-camp1.htm

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD • cgw.g^

• FEBRUARY 2000

REVIEW

QUICK HITS

PANDORA’S BOX

B uild a better TETRIS and the world will beat a path to your
door. For years now, Alexey Pajitnov, the Russian creator of TETRIS, has
been trying to do exactly that, but has only managed to create a spate of
mediocre derivations on his original falling-block theme. PANDORA’S BOX,
Pajitnov's latest work, is at least original, but it's
surely no TETRIS in either its originality or sheer
addictiveness, Pajitnov uses a handful of digital
gimmicks and 3D tricks, along with 350 pieces of artwork, to create a collec-
tion of 21st century jigsaw puzzles. There are 10 puzzle types - some quite
clever, some quite annoying - wrapped up in a hastily cobbled storyline about
the capture of the great trickster figures in world mythology. Fans of jigsaw puz-
zles and Kai's Power Tools will find some good rainy-day fun here; others won't
be amused for very long. -Chris Lombardi

Genre; Puzzle • Publisher: Microsoft * $20 * www.micrasoft.com/ganies
ESRB Rating: Everyone

GRAND THEFT AUTO 2

Genre; Driving ■ Publisher: Take 2
Interactive • Developer: Rockstar Games
$40 * www.rockstargames.coni • ESRG
Rating: Mature; animated blood, strong lan-
guage

. W-.T, ■ ryt

. ...T

to .'-a

T he original GRAND THEFT AUTO
was something of a cult hit,
inspiring a large online community
of wannabe thugs and car-jackers,

partly due to its controversial subject mat-
ter, The success of this sequel will probably
be the greatest indicator of whether the
hubbub over the original was hype, or

based on great
^ ^ ^ y gameplay. After

playing GRAND
THEF Auto 2 , which simply rehashes the
original game with a few new bells and
whistles - like colored lighting, car-mounted
weapons, and a more elaborate organized
crime system - I'm sticking with the former.
The new retro-future look of the cars leaves
a lot to be desired. Heck, the London 1969
expansion pack for the original GTA seemed
cooler than this. GTA 2 will probably bring
very few new fans to the series, but should
satisfy those hooked by the first game.

-Tom Price

N FL BLITZ was one of the freshest,
most devilishly fun sports
games since BLADES OF STEEL for
the NES. This year's model adds some
much needed features like a play editor, an
extra page of

■k if -k i

plays, and

weather. Most importantly, it stays true to
Blitz's skull-crushing charm and amazing
looks. However, the game still lacks replays,
and you still can’t make substitutions. I
know team management isn't in the spirit of
BLITZ, but since you’re limited to four con-
trollable players on offense, i would like to
choose my receiving crew as well as return
and cover men.

The new animations are cool, but
extremely choppy - even on a Pentium-Ill
450 with a Voodoo2 3D accelerator. A few
other technical glitches also mar NFL BLITZ
2000, which in many ways is better than
the first, but highly flawed. Midway dropped
the chalupa on this one - if could have
been legendary, -Tom Price

I RON BLETZ is an expansion pack to
AXIS & ALLIES that gives players
two new units, eight new scenarios,
and the ability to edit the existing
units, alliances, and setup. While I
liked the idea of the new scenarios, from a
1939 start to

k k k k a cold war

variant, almost

all are woefully unbalanced and unlikely to
provide the kind of close contests for which
A&A is known and loved.

In contrast, the new units (marines and
destroyers) are a welcome addition.
Destroyers in particular make the naval por-
tion of the game more logical and more fun.
The ability to change unit attributes through
the edit menu is also welcome, although
once again play balance ought to be the
primary consideration when tinkering. If you
don't already own A&A you might as well
buy IRON Blitz, as it comes packaged with
the original game. For veterans, the $10
rebate that comes with the economically
priced IRON BLITZ makes this a reasonable
and rewarding buy as well. -Tim Carter

152

FEBRUARY 2D0U

:gw.g.

.pot. com • CUMPUTER GAMING WORLD

THE OPERATIONAL ART OF WAR II:
FLASHPOINT KOSOVO

C alling the first battle
pack for The

OPERATIONAL ART OF WAR
II "Flashpoint Kosovo” is, at
best, a questionable mar*
keting move. To begin with,
the invasion of Yugoslavia by
NATO forces in the summer of
1999 never transpired. Second,
the battle pack includes but a
single scenario in Yugoslavia. The
remaining dozen or so scenarios
are set in other hotspots around
the world, from the lengthy
Iran/Iraq conflict to a supposedly inevitable showdown between Chinese and Russian
forces at the end of the 20th Century. While a few historical engagements are thrown in,
including the lopsided '91 Gulf War and the proposed U.S. invasion of North Vietnam at
the height of the Vietnam War, the majority of the scenarios are based on hypothetical
conflagrations, including an unlikely conflict in Central
Europe and a rather preposterous U.S. Civil War in 2008.
These issues aside, FLASHPOINT KOSOVO ably picks up
where its award-winning predecessor left off, taking a highly entertaining and replayable
second look at some of the world's most troubled regions. -Marc Dultz

Genre: Wargame * Publisher: TalonSoft * Developer: Norm Kager
$20 » Virww.talonsQft.com • RSAC Advisory: Violence. 1

DIPLOMACY

Genre: Strategy * Publisher: Hasbro
Interactive * Developer: Meyer/Glass
Interactive * $40 *
www.hasbrQinteractive.CDm
ESRB Rating: Everyone

B ack in the early 80s, Avalon Hill
released a computer version of
its classic multiplayer boardgame,
Diplomacy. The game was marred by a
poor user interface and atrocious Al. but
that wasn’t much of a surprise; back then it
was an achievement simply to develop a
game that worked. It’s much more of a sur-
prise that 1 5 years later, Avalon Hill's new
. , owner, Hasbro,

^ ' has brought its

considerable

development firepower to bear on the clas-
sic game with the exact same result.

DIPLOMACY is built upon very simple
rules. The players represent the seven major
powers of Europe in 1901. The map con-
sists of 75 spaces, 34 of which are “supply
centers" that confer the ability to build addi-
tional units. Control of 18 centers by a sin-
gle power al the end of a year results in vic-
tory. Each player secretly records his
orders, which are revealed and resolved
simultaneously each turn, after a period of
negotiations.

Capturing a province is as easy as mov-
ing a unit there. Beating your enemies to
this space, however, requires a little help
from your friends, and the preceding negoti-
ations between world powers are what

make DIPLOMACY such a deliciously devi-
ous multiplayer pastime.

Graphically, the game is a polished affair.
Colors indicate territorial control, and map
motifs can be changed to suit one's taste.
Players are represented by historically-
attired personages who sneer and leer
while waiting to conduct negotiations.

These negotiations are carried out in
"rooms” where only invited occupants can
participate. Players make proposals through
a simple system of icons, which turns
“Germany should attack Russia” into a sim-
ple three-click process; this is hindered only
by the poor placement of these icons and
the fact that a player’s “offers received”
arrive on a different screen than “offers
made” - meaning that only one screen can
be monitored at a time. The icons are a
good shorthand communication method in
games against human opponents, although
there is also a chat feature available.

Unfortunately, the computer opponents
are unable to provide the barest modicum
of resistance, even al the highest setting,
The computer repeatedly tries to perform

REVIEW

W e haven’t seen a good

Napoleonic wargame on the
PC for years. Sadly, this title does little to
change that, NAPOLEON 1 01 3 recreates
the struggle of one of history's most notori-
i » ous generals

^ ^ to maintain a

hold on central Europe in the wake of his
disastrous 1812 campaign in Russia. You
command your units (the smallest of which
is a division) in a variety of individual battles
or extended campaigns via an interesting
slew-motion, real-time mode.

While the strategic map looks okay, the
battlefield graphics are unimpressive. By
itself, this poses no problem. Numerous
bugs, glitches, and interface difficulties, on
the other hand, create some serious hard-
ship. Units disappear or switch sides with
no explanation; scrolling is cumbersome;
and the manual fails to explain several basic
points. On top of all this, crashes are not
uncommon. NAPOLEON 1813is full of
promising ideas, each of which seems to be
plagued by a bug of some sort. Even the
patched version will please only serious
Napoleonic buffs. -Bruce Geryk

illegal moves, although the game engine
prevents them from being resolved. No
coordination occurs, either between two
allies or even between units of the same
power. Two units will repeatedly try to dis-
lodge an enemy from a supply center, both
of them trying to move to that space, rather
than one providing support for the other.

You'd expect the multiplayer game to be
the shining point, since inter-personal
exchanges were the heart and soul of the
original design. Alas, the multiplayer game
via Internet or LAN with up to seven human
players is so slow that it makes the game
unplayable. A simple two-player TCP/IP
game brought a Pentium il!-550 to its
knees. There are play-by-email and hot-seat
modes available, but if you're going to play
that way, you may as well play the
boardgame.

DIPLOMACY, the boardgame, was an
example of game design at its best.
DIPLOMACY, the computer game, is an
example of how an excellent design does
not guarantee a good computer translation.
-Bruce Geryk

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

;gw.gi

ipot.com • FEBRUARY 20QD

153

A.P

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COLONIZE . ■ ; '■■'■'.■■■

claim 2U1 uncharted island as your own./ J,y

Then, establish your settlements, ' .
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Begin with a simple settlement of farms and f&hing ‘
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DvYOAiped by SUNFLOWER Irileractive Entenainmem SofNvare GinbH. PuUithbit by GT imetacM Software Corp under icertse bum SUtiFLOWER Ineruttve EiMrlalninEini CirtiH. QT « a ri-gi9Med vtOgraan, at Microsoft Corporauon. All oftioi uadamarKsIiiii ttK> propoily ol Ifteii
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GameSter

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part eipj)ire builder part real time strategy

^^iscover oyer 700 unique islands with varying landscapes
• Over 90 building^es. Over 30 unique trades

: Single player mddb offers a , choice of seven campaigns, continuous play

or more than 40 sceiiarios with pre-set missions

■ - ’ . 5 tutorial games guarantee a quick and easy entry into gameplay

■; Real tirne land and sea battles

4 Lavish 3D animation replace functiorrs filled by statistics in other games

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' '■ ' ^

♦ Map editor lets you create your own new world to build and rule

CONQUER'

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safe and trade routes free from hostile enemies.

Or, wage war against your enemies.

PC CD-ROM

HARDWARE

IN SEARCH OF THE ULTIMATE
GAMING MACHINE • REVIEWS • NEWS

lime to Upgrade?

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT MOIHERBOARO CHIPSET ANO MEMORY

C ompetition is a wonderful thing for consumers — products get better and

cost less. But the downside of choice is that, well, you have to choose. In the

world of motherboard chipsets and memory, the choices are about to go from mild-
ly confusing to totally baffling. Why? New chipsets and memory types, each with its
own advantages and disadvantages, are coming onto the scene. What to do? Stay with
us, and we'll give you the low-down on what your best choices are now, and what they
will be soon.

Short-Term Memory

Right now, there are two types of memory to consider: SDRAM and RAMBUS {or
RDRAM). RDRAM can deliver a performance gain with current games (test results
below), but it requires Intel’s 820 chipset, which wasn't available as of press time. When
it is available in early 2000, RDRAM will be expensive relative to SDRAM. And until
- .1 ■ II ■ RDRAM is shipping in quantity, it will stay that way.

hif InwrI Paco and flaifo Caluatnr A third memory type is on the horizon, called Double

ny Loya base ana uave saiwator Data Rate sdram (ddr sdham), wwch couw be an

interesting high-performance alternative to RDRAM.
To make sense of the upgrade options, check out the table below.

Meanwhile, Intel has decided to support both PC133 SDRAM and DDR SDRAM some-
time later in 2000. But Via's Apollo chipset will soon make the move to DDR SDRAM, and
could be a dark horse in the performance sprint versus Intel 820 and RDRAM. So if you
can wait to upgrade, hold off until more is known about DDR SDRAM and its price/perfor-
mance versus Intel’s offerings.

CPU/Ctnpset/lwemary Type

1. Penb'um-lll 70D/liitel 44aBX/ PC1DD SDFtAM [baseline!

2. Athlen 700 / AMD 7SI / PCIOO SDRAM

3. Pentium-Ill 733 / Inlel CC 820 / PG100 SDRAM

4. Pentium-Ill 733 / Inlel UC 820 / RDRAM

5. Pentium-Ill 733 / Via Apollo 133 / PC133 SDRAM

In our recent testing, Intel's new 733MHz Pentium III, running on an 820-based
motherboard with RDRAM, came in first. The real surprise was the performance
of the 700MH2 Pentium III running on the “aging" 440BX platform: It came in
second. Athlon hung in there, finishing in the middle of the pack. The other shock
was the low performance of the 733MHz Pentium III running on an 820 mother-
board, but using SDRAM (not RDRAM).

g3Test [512x384x16*1

NOTE: All systems tested using CreatiVe’s Annihilator 3D card, Windows 98SE, and DirectX 7 ‘QUAKE III version 1.08, demo 1

T he revolution will not be televised; it will be downloadable. Diamond sparked
stampede of knock-off MP3 players with its first Rio MP3 player two years ago, and has
enjoyed great success - not to mention weathering a flood of litigation from the

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

But Diamond has thus far prevailed, and is about to
bring it on again with their new Rio 500. New to the Rio
are several notable features: USB support; enhanced
controls: and a small display to tell you the name of your current track, and to let you browse
through others stored in the unit's 64MB of memory. With this memory load-out, the Rio 500 can
store at least 70 minutes of music, and more if you’re willing to dial down the quality setting a bit.

RioMSOOMPSPiaver

FEBRUARY 2000 •

' COMPUTER GAMII

156

HARDWARE

MEMORY SPEEDS AND FEEDS j

RDRAM will be on the scene first, but DDR SDRAM may give it a run for its money in the performance arena. The question here is who'll
have the better price/performance story.

Memory

Type

Approximate

Sustained Data Rate

Pros

Cons

PC133 SDRAM

700MB/sec

Inexpensive, available

Not the fastest game in town

RDRAM

i.5G8/sec

It's got headroom for future performance needs

Expensive

PC266 DDR SDRAM

1.46B/sec

Could be an interesting alternative to RDRAM

Still loo many unknowns, including price.

The Athlon Alternative

AMD’s Athlon CPU has delivered very good
price/performance versus Intel, though we’ve seen a
few stability problems. If you're interested in Athlon,
we urge you to buy a pre-configured system. There
are still some combinations of peripherals that give
Athlon motherboards hissy fits, but off-the-shelf sys-
tems have tested pretty well. Don't build using
Athlon components yourself, unless you’re very con-
fident in your troubleshooting skills.

Chipset Upgrade Paths

Finally, to help you navigate the twists and turns
of the upgrade path, we’ve got the following "IF-
THEN" recommendations for upgrade alternatives.
To figure out which chipset your system has, right-
click on the My Computer icon, and go to the Device
Manager tab dialogue. From the list of devices, click
on System Devices, and see which "Processor to
AGP Controller” you have. Intel’s 440BX will be list-
ed as the 82443BX.

IF... You have an older 440BX or 440LX mother-
board (a system that’s two or three years old), and
have a CPU that's 400MHz or less, and want more
performance now.

THEN... Consider making a
motherboard/CPU/RAM swap, and take a look at
Intel 820-based Pentium-m solutions with RDRAM
memory (fast but pricey), or consider a new off-the-
shelf system — especially if you're thinking about
opting for an Athlon-based system (less expensive).

IF... You have a recent 440BX motherboard that
supports 1.65 CPU core voltage, like the Abit BX6
rev. 2 and ASUS P3B-F; and a 450MH2 CPU or less.

THEN... Consider the Intel Pentium-Ill 700MHz,
which will work in your current motherboard with a
BIOS update. You can add an 820-based mother-
board and RAM further down the road.

IF... You have a recent 440BX motherboard with a
500MH2 CPU or better.

THEN... Hold off until RDRAM mem ory an d
700MHz Pentium-Ill CPU prices drop.

Cut Off Their Tails...

New Cordless Mice Get You Off the Leash

ou're in the middle of a heated skirmish on an
Internet UNREAL TOURNAMENT server, and you’re
battling. All of a sudden, someone gets the drop on you from
behind; you go to wheel around and let 'em have it, but you get stuck
midway around by a tangled mouse cable, Boom, you're dead. After the
expletives, you get the mouse untangled and get on with your life, mut-
tering that there must be a better way. Well, there is. Go wireless. We
took a look at the latest cordless offerings from Microsoft and Logitech,
and both proved to be solid performers that will never cost you another

INSIDE HARDWARE

Killer Rigs 160

Loyd Case 162

Tech Medics 164

Reviews 157

Logitech Cordless MouseMan Wheel
Microsoft Cordless Wheel Mouse
Hammerhead FX Gamepad
Diamond HomeFree USB
3Com Home Networking Kit
Saitek R1Q0 Wheel

157

Photos: Hayden Houser

HARDWARE

cord-tangle frag again. Both install without a hitch, and depending
on your personal preference (and hand size), one of them will serve
you well.

We tested these mice in QUAKE III, UNREAL TOURNAMENT, HALF-
LIFE, and HOMEWORLD. Through all these games, both mice per-
formed well, and neither introduced any "frag-lag" in the 3D shooters;
it came down to a subjective
feel that each delivered. Both
ran fine using the PS2RATE
utility for jacking up the mouse-
polling rate to smooth mouse
tracking. So what's the dif, you
may be asking? There’s the
$15 price difference, as well as
button and wheel placement
and response - and this is
where Microsoft's mouse pulls ahead.

Microsoft Cordless Wheel Mouse

Microsoft's wire-free offering uses a slightly modified design of their
hallmark IntelliMouse, the most notable difference being that the new
mouse is ambidextrous. By removing the cun/ature of the original
IntelliMouse, the Cordless Wheel Mouse (CWM) will fit the hands of
both righthanders and southpaws alike. Button design is very simple:
left and right, and this rodent's wheel has very clear click-points that
served well for weapon switching in shooters, and for zooming in/out
in HOMEWORLD. The buttons also felt solid and were very comfort-
able during long 3D-shooter sessions. About the only complaint CGW

editors had was the lack of a thumb button. The mouse’s weight was
very dose to a typical Microsoft mouse, and wasn't a problem. All told,
this is a great mouse whose relatively low price and “goes both ways"
design will keep lefty and righty mousers alike happy.

Logitech Cordless MouseMan Wheel

Logitech took their very com-
fortable WheelMan canted
design and turned it into a wire-
less offering. But in making the
move to leash-free, they made
some design changes that make
this mouse less comfortable to
use than its tethered sibling. First,
in order to accommodate the
wireless transmitter circuitry,
Logitech moved the left and right mouse buttons back onto the mouse
body. Couple that with two short-throw buttons, and the result is that
we often found our fingertips off the buttons in 3D shooters, which can
be fatal. Logitech's canted design is comfortable, and their thumb but-
ton is a plus-but the Cordless MouseMan’s wheel didn’t quite have
the sure feel of Microsoft's wheel. Also, this Logitech is a little over 25
percent heavier than a standard Microsoft mouse, and you could feel
the weight difference after prolonged use. This is still a fine mouse,
and if you like Logitech's canted design, then this may be the one for
you. But because of their moving of the left and right buttons, the
cordless proved a little less sure-handed than the conventional
MouseMan Wheel. -Da/e Salvator

! THE WEIGH-IN

Varniint

Weight [oz.]

Microsoft IntelliMouse (baseline)

4.6

Microsoft Cordless Wheel Mouse

5.1

Logitech Cordless MouseMan Wheel

5,8

Requirements: PC with suiiiiorted game port;
two AAA batteries. Price: S4Q
Manufacturer: Interact Accessaries
Contact: www.lnteract-acc.com

Duly Shocked

I f you've envied the PlayStation players their Dual-
Shock gamepads, envy no more. Interact has felt your
pain and offers you the HammerheadFX, a force-feed-
back gamepad that rumbles when, say, you get shot in
a 3D shooter that supports the effect. Although it
requires a pair of AAA batteries, the rumble effect taps
into DirectX’s force-feedback capabilities and works
quite well.

The HammerheadFX doesn't support USB, nor can it
be daisy-chained, unfortunately, but installs easily. The
profiling software is somewhat nonintuitive, but the con-
troller is fully Directlnput-com-
^ -4 pliant, and so is easily config-

^ ^ ^ ured within most games. You

can set it up to use the twin mini-joysticks, or one joystick
and the D-pad. Control response is quick and fluid. The
one downside is that the unit is rather weighty; my fore-
arms got a little tired after a half hour, -Loyd Case

DIAMOND HOMEFREE DSD NEEWORKINB KIT

Requirements: Free USB port; Windows S8 for PC or USB-equipped Macintosh
Price: $138 Manufacturer: Diamond Multimedia Contact: www.dratnoiidiiitii.coni

Easy, but Not So Fast

D iamond’s HomeFree USB phone-line networking kit arrives on the
scene just as other companies are starting to ship 1 0Mbit/sec home
networking kits. Unfortunately, Diamond's kit is limited to 1 megabit per
second. Despite this deficiency, I found the
W Diamond USB kit to be easy to install, fully-fea-

tured, and great for gaming, provided you have
the requisite phone jacks. Note that, as with any home phone-line kit, your
phone setup needs to exist on the same sets of wire pairs.

The network module looks like a pale blue, translucent modem. There are
three ports: one for the USB connection to the PC, one to connect to a
phone jack, and the third to attach a phone. The module draws power from
the USB port, so there's a refreshing lack of power brick. The kit includes
Macintosh and PC drivers, wiring, Internet sharing software for two PCs (or
one PC and one Mac), and documentation. Setup is a snap: Plug the module
in, install the software, and let it walk you through the network install process.
The setup software is very friendly and smart.

The real downside is performance. For gaming, the ping time is a very good
33ms, but the transfer time is pathetically slow; a 10MB file took nearly two
minutes to move from one PC to the next. 1 wouldn't use this to install large
games over a network. -Loyd Case

158

FEBRUARY 2000

:gw.gi

• COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

HARDWARE

Cheap Ride

E ver driven your car with a joystick? Didn't think so. So why are you still trying to get
through games like NEED FOR SPEED using that old joystick? I know, it's not worth
the $1 00+ investment to get a wheel. But Saitek might have what you're looking for:

a decent wheel for part-time motorheads that comes in under
^ $50. Their new R1 00 wheel is a no-frills wheel that installs

easily, handles well, and surprisingly, has pedals that don't
suck-a hallmark of nearly all “budget-oriented" wheels.

The R1 00 has a single screw-peg that attach-
es the wheel to your desk, and you can
mount/dismount it quickly and easily. I took the
R100 for a rip through NEED FOR SPEED, and
the R100 was well-heeled, though the wheel
itself has a somewhat springy feel. But it tracked
evenly from hard-left to hard-right, and the ped-
als even allowed for somewhat subtle acceleration and braking. The wheel has two front
buttons, and two shifter paddles, and all worked without a hitch.

For the part-time wheelman, the R1 00 will get the job done without walloping your wal-
let. Better pedals would be a welcome addition, but for under $50, they'll do. -Da/e
Salvator

SAITEK R10D WHEEL

HequIrBmonls: Soimdcanl joystick port
Price: S49.95 Manufacturer: Saitek
Contact: www.saitekusa.cam

3COM HOME NETWORK ETHERNET KIT

I Price: $180 Manufacturer: 3Com Contact: www.3com.coiTi j i

Fast and Easy, but Not Cheap

N etworking is a pain. Installing the cards, stringing cable, and
getting it all talking is not a chore for the faint-of-heart. Along
comes networking behemoth 3Com with a home Ethernet kit
that claims to be easy to install.

It's certainly the simplest Ethernet kit I’ve seen, but you still have to
be comfortable with popping open the hood of your PC and installing
PCI cards. The kit comes with a five-port hub, two 3C450 PCI home
.... networking cards, cables, directions, and

^ T-1 a pack of CDs. The hub is "stackable,"

meaning it can be uplinked to another
future hub if you need more ports. The software includes a Windows
98 to Wndows 98SE upgrade CD, Microsoft’s HomeClick Network
Software, and a sampler CD of Microsoft games.

The key is the HomeClick software - it automates most of the net-
work setup. By following the onscreen directions you can have a fast
ethernet network going within a half hour, if you already have
Wndows 98SE. The twisted pair cable is a little unsightly, but the
fast transfer time (10MB in less than six seconds) and low ping times
(33ms) make for a pleasant gaming experience. The only downside is
that TCP/IP addresses are assumed to be auto-assigned, so for the
best results, you need to have Windows 98SE Internet Sharing
turned on. Though SCom’s offering is solid, D-Link offers a similar-
performing kit for about $1 00. -Loyd Case

Coming Next Month

WE'LL TELL YOU

IN CGW’S 15TH ANNUAL
GAME OF THE YEAR AWARDS

A year’s worth of games enter the
ring. ...only one emerges the CGW
Game of the Year. What’s it going
to be? HOM EWORLD? AGE OF
EMPIRES 2? UNREAL
TOURNAMENT? SYSTEM SHOCK 2?
HIGH HEAT BASEBALL 2000? One
thing it won’t be... easy to decide.

159

HARO WARE

Killer Rigs

l/Vhen you’re ready to put your
dream rig together, check out
caw.namesnot.com/features/pc
workshopS/indeM.html for
Loyd’s step-fay-step guide to
getting your Ultimate Gaming
Machine up and running.

Kllpscli Promedia • 8250 •

Daiiiilifiil im^ninn pIoqii finirnH

Beautiful imaging, clean sound. '

Boston Acoustics BA-635 ‘ $70
* Want back to our favorites,

YOUR TWO BEST RECIPES FOR BUILOING THE ULTIMATE GAMING MACHINE

The Fine Print: All recommendalions based on acluai evakiations and tcsbng. Prices listed are average low quotes from Web
price search engines like www.comoulershoDoer.com or wvvw.oricew3tch.com . Compiled hy Dave Salvalor anr) Loyd Case.

Milsutiislii DiamondPro 202Du • S1.250
Pertactly flat; good USB support

0ptiquBStV95 • S389 • Solid 19"
monitor at a budget price.

PI In-Will 0500 full tower ATX • S105 1
^ New and Improved model.

^ Antec Gemstone Case - $75
2 The colors! The colors!

Plonoer Bx SCSI DVD • $180 • New
Pioneer slot drive DVO. Swoet!

Pioneer DVD-IIA • $105 • Slot drive
DVO.

I Microsoti Natufal Keyboard Pro • $5^^^“
In with tfie Natural, out wilh tbe Nowtoucli.

Microsoft internot Keyboard
nice add-on buttons.

S24 Giieap,

□ Power Rig

Componenl

Motherboard

Manufacturer
Intel VCB2Q

Microsoft Intolli-iiiouse Explorer rJH
$65 • The mouse with no balls!
Logitech USB Wheel Mouse • S30^ I
Better than the "gaming" mouse.

Price The Skinny

S14Q AGP4X

Interact Hainmer-headFX
S40 • Dual shock clone.

CHF16 Combatslick
USB • $65 • It just
feels right.

GH Gamestick 3D
$42 * Solid symmet- 1
rlcal stick,

Hard Drive

Quantum Allas 10k

$680

Runs warm, runs fast

■

Backup

Creative DVD-RAM drive

$599

2 nios of backup

■ HiRiin MiinninR

Hard Drive Cooler

PC Power and Coolino Bav-Cool

$49

Keen that Atlas lOk cool!

aiwMii ■

CD-ROM

Pioneer 6x SCSI DVD

$160

New Pioneer slot drive DVD. Sweet!

Component

Manufacturer

Monitor _

Mitsubishi DiaiiiondPro 202f)j

$1,250

Perfecllv flat: nnnd USB sunoort

Motherboard

Asus P3B-F

Pfimarv Audio

Sound Blaster Live Platinum

$175

For fpiir-soeakei DirectSoiind. A3D and EAX

H CPU

Pentium 111/550

Speakers

KKusch Promedia

$250

Geanliliil imaniiia clean sound

Memory

128MB PC100 SDRAM

Modem

3Coni SDSL mudem

$400

DSL at last

Primary Graphics

Creative Labs Graohics Blaster TNT2 Ul

Nelworkinp

$60

For franuino mv buddies

Floppy Drive

Teac

Netwprkino Hub ^2^*

Neinear DS108

$170

Multiplaver & DSL modem sunoort

|H Hard Drive

IBM Deskstar 226XP g.1GB

Case

In-Win Q500 full lower ATX

$105

New improved model

H CD-ROM/DVD

Pioneer DVD-114

Power Supply

Silencer 275

$99

More DQwer. Scottv!

Monitor

Ooliauest VGS

Keyboard

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro

$59

In with the Natural, out with the Newtouch

Primary Audio

Aureal Vortex2 Suoerouad

MousefPointinp Device’'**«iK Microsoft Inlelliniouse Explorer

$65

The mouse with no balls!

Sneakers

Boston Acoustics BA-63S

Action Game Controller

Interact HammerheadFX

$40

Dual shock clone

Madam

Actionlec PCI Call-Waitinn Modem

Flioht Joystick

CH FI6 Combatslick USE

$65

It just feels riuht

■ Case

Antec Gemstone Case

Rudder Pedals

CH Pro Pedals USB

$100

Nearly perfect foot placement

■ Keyboard

Microsoft Internet Keyboard

Driving Controls

ECCI CDS 40CD

$1,260

For the serious sim driver

Mouse/Pointino Device

Locitoch USB Wheel Mouse

1 Total $7,526 ■

Joystick

CH Gamestick 3D

HARDWARE

“Which 3D Card Should I Buy?”

I f there’s one question readers have asked us more than
any other, this would have to be it. So, you asked for it, you

got it. Choosing the right 3D card depends on your CPU and your mother-
board. So we have two recommendations for you.

Choice A: If your CPU is a Pentium 233MH2 or slower, or your motherboard
is all-PCI (no AGP), or you’ve got a motherboard-down AGP graphics chip with
no AGP slot, then get 3dfx's Voodoo3 3000 PCI board. At just under $150, the
VS 3000 delivers great price/performance, and will do a very good job with
current games, and a good job with games coming out soon. And the best part
is that when you swap in a new motherboard/CPU, you can migrate the
Voodoo3 board to the new setup and use it there until you decide to get an
AGP-based 3D card.

Choice B: If your motherboard has an AGP slot, then go with Creative’s 3D
Annihilator 3D Pro, which goes for around $300. A somewhat pricey bugger,
but this GeForce-based board uses DDR SDRAM memory to keep the
GeForce’s four pipelines fed and happy. If you can’t stomach a $300 invest-
ment, then consider Creative’s 3D Blaster TNT2 Ultra, which is available now
for around $150.

Even if you're running a Pentium-il 233 or 266l\/lHz CPU, when you upgrade
motherboard/CPU, you can migrate either of these cards into your new setup,
and they’ve got room to grow with whatever CPU you mate them with.

3D NEWS FIASH! 3dfx Napalms Comdex

3 dfx finally took the wraps off its Napalm project, and
announced a series of products based on its new
chip. The company stated that this is the last graphics chip to be
based on the Voodoo architecture: the next chip, code-named Rampage, has
been built from the ground up with a new architecture.

The chip formerly known as Napalm is now the VSA-100, which sports a fill
rate of 333-367Mpixels/sec, depending on clock speed. To put this in perspec-
tive, nVidia’s new GeForce 256 chip delivers about 480Mpixels/sec, and their
TNT2 Ultra comes in at around 300Mpixels/sec. Boards using the VSA-100 will
ship in two flavors; single chip (Voodoo4) and multichip (VoodooS). That's right
kids, SLI is back, but a single board this time. The Voodoo4 will ship with a
single VSA-100 and 32MB of RAM. It will not be able to handle 3dfx’s much
ballyhooed T-buffer effects. Pricing will be around $179.

The Voodoo5 comes in three flavors: the 5000 PCI, the 5500 AGP and the
6000 AGP. The 5000 has two VSA-IOOs and 32MB of RAM (which is effective-
ly 16MB of video memory due to the way SLI works). The 5500AGP will also

have a pair of VSA-IOOs, but
64MB of RAM (32MB effective
memory). Both cards do full scene
anti-aliasing, though with a perfor-
mance hit. The PCI card’s sug-
gested price will be $230, and the
AGP card will come in at $299.

The mother lode is the 6000,
which has four chips, 128MB
video RAM (again, 32MB effective
memory) and, get this, its own
separate power supply. That’s
right, you’ll have to plug this into
a wall outlet. Oh, and did we men-
tion it will he $600? Ouch. But it
does deliver humongous fill rate-
roughly 1.3-1.47 gigapixels per
second. -Loyd Case

Price

S125

The Skinoy

5 PCI slats. Softinenu. 440BX. readv for Pentium III

S350

Half a Qiaaherlz and SSE

$188

128MB at last

$150

Went for 32-bits

$20

Still aotia have it

$135

IBM's low cost, fast drive

$105

Slot drive DVD

$389

Solid 19" monilor at a budaet orice

$99

A30 and clean audio for under a C-nole

$70

Went back to our favorites

$91

Solid Derfomtance. oood crice

$75

The colors! The colors!

$24

Cheao. nice add-on buttons

$30

Better than the "aaminn' mouse

$42

Solid symmetrical slick

KEVENGS

SO SWEET.

www.rockfire.net

sales@rockfire.net

Cali 510.521.5028 for
the dealer nearest you.

HARDWARE

BY LOYD CASE

Arrrgghhh!

A Bit of Fire and Brimstone About Ease-of-Use

I recently ripped a VoodooZ graphics card out of
my system in sheer disgust. My anger and frustra-
tion was not directed at the Voodoo2 card, which
has been one of the most trouble-free and reliable
pieces of hardware I've ever used. No, my ire was
directed at Electronic Arts.

The Voodoo2 card lived in my computer next door to a
TNT2 Ultra card. When I recently installed Electronic
Art's NEED FOR SPEED: HIGH STAKES, I wanted to run it
in 32-bit color. But when I ran NEED FOR SPEED'S 3D-
setup program, I was offered two choices: Glide
3D or software 3D acceleration. Huh?! The game
was designed to support Direct3D!

I only wanted to take advantage of a feature
that was built into the game. But the design
oversight by some numbskull at Electronic Arts
was standing in my way. Only after I uninstalled
the Voodoo2 card and flung it out of my system
in revulsion did the game allow me to choose
Direct3D. But then it promptly informed me that
"my hardware was unsupported.”

My scream was deafening. I hope it shook a
few Silicon Valley engineers out of their beds.

I've said it before, and I'll surely say it again:
Computers should just be easier to use. I don’t mean
easy like a toaster. I don't mean that the PC needs to
fundamentally change to work more like, say, a televi-
sion. I’m not talking about some future where we’ll talk
to our computers and they'll respond in a sexy voice.

I’m talking about the hundreds of little ways, here and
now and today, that computers could be better
designed for greater ease-of-use. I'm talking about elim-
inating the stupid design decisions or oversights that
need never occur if hardware and software engineers
spent a moment or two meditating at the Temple of
Common Sense.

Patchwork Quilt

It's a given these days that games will require patch-
es. Ignoring the issue of whether patches should be
necessary {Jeff Green has mercilessly beaten that
horse already), they are a fact of life. If that’s true, why
are patches so difficult to install?

For example, when running many patch setup pro-
grams, I'm asked to specify the location of the game
on my hard drive. Huh? This is a Windows world. The
patch program should just check the Windows registry
or search the drive.

I’m not talking about patches that are just com-
pressed files containing whole files to copy over to the
game directory. I’m talking about elaborate patch pro-
grams with dozens of components. My favorite was the
patch that asked me, “You have version xxx.x of the
game, right?" Gee, I dunno. You tell me!

Now let’s talk compressed files. All of you who have
had to download patches, then "unzip" them, raise your
hands. What an annoying process!

For one thing, there's no consistency as to where the
unzipped files get placed. Then there are the differing
decompression programs that default to different direc-
tories. Imagine the new gamer who has no clue what a
“.zip" program is, poor soul. No wonder console gaming
is growing faster than PC gaming.

This is not rocket science. Most commercial zip pro-
grams can create easily executable fUes. Some of the

Maybe a few hardware
engineers and programmers
will read this and make a
much-needed pilgrimage to the
Temple of Common Sense. 0 —

better ones will auto-launch a program, like an install
script. I know they exist, because some patches do
show up that way. Why can’t all of them?

Hardware Headaches

Installing hardware can be equally painful. Many of us
have been through the hell of installing a graphics card
or sound card. But those are extreme examples. There
are simple things that can be done to ease our pain.

For instance, why do the Sound Blaster Live cards
that ship with systems from Dell and other big comput-
er companies have color-coded connectors, but the $200
Sound Blaster Live does not? Why aren’t all ribbon
cables and matching connectors keyed, so that you
can't insert them incorrectly?

The same goes for USB connectors. And why are USB
connectors still on the back of PCs? Why are those terri-
ble, fragile, four-pin power connectors still used for hard
drives, when the ones used for floppy drives are so
much easier to connect?

I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of space. Maybe,
just maybe, a few hardware engineers and program-
mers will read tlris and malce a much-needed pilgrimage
to the Temple of Common Sense. Hey. a columnist can
hope, can't he? M'.'i

162

FEBRUARY 2000

:gw.gi

• COMPUTER COMING WORLD

Yamaha’s exclusive Advanced Active Servo Technology delivers thunderous low end and brilliant highs.
The YST-MS30 and YST-MS35 (USB) multimedia speakers will dramatically enhance your gaming and
music/MP3 listening experience. Act now and get one for as low as $49.99*.

Save $20
when you buy now!

Gcf a S20 rcbiiic from Ynimiha

whim you liny YST-MS30 speakers before

J/31/2000. See product box for details.

The WsY Your Computer Should Sound.

MULTIMEDIA SPEAKERS • C D - R E W R I T A 8 L E RECORDERS • CD-R AND CD-RW MEDIA • HEADPHONES

For 3 brochure, call [800)623-6414 c«l.533 Or visit www.vatnaha.corr. •Estimated street price for YST-MS30 after S20 rebate (Yamaha does not set teiatl ptices).

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amazon.com

COMPH

100-592-4239

liljGjpCenijR nxnmBEBom

800-367-7060

HARDWARE

Tech Medics

Yau^/e Gat C3uestians, We^/e Got Answers ny Loyd case and oave saivator

Drawing A Blank [Screen!

I f I leave a game alone for about a half hour, the screen goes
completely dark and when I try to resume, the sound is usual-
ly off. This is not the screen saver, which I disabled. Is there a
way I can prevent this from happening?

Wounded on the technologi-
cal front? Our medics may be
able to patch you up and get
you back into the action.

Send your gaming-related
technical questions to
cgw_hardware@zd.com.

Your computer is going into "sleep
mode. '' From the Display control panel,
click on the "Screen Saver" tab, then click on the "Power" or
"Settings" button on the lower right (depends on which version of
Windows 98 you have). Select the “Always On " option. If you want
your monitor to remain on, select the “Never" setting for turning
off the monitor, or the number of minutes you want your system to
wait before it puts the monitor into sleep mode.

Slot Swap Bingo

recently added a new sound
card. Windows detected the card,
but then couldn’t find the drivers,
so I added the drivers and restart-
ed the computer. When Windows
came up, I checked in Device
Manager and saw the yellow excla-
mation mark next to the sound
card. It said that the drivers were
not installed. What did I do wrong?

Sounds like there's an unknown
I/O resource conflict of some kind.
Try moving the sound card to anoth-
er PCI slot. With sound and network
cards, it's generally good practice to
avoid the slot directly adjacent to
the AGP slot. In motherboards with
five or more PCI slots, you may
want to avoid the very last slot with
these cards as well.

Slurping Acronym Soup

W hen an upcom-
ing video card
like the ATI Rage
Fury MAXX says that
it supports texture
compression, is that
the same as support-
ing S3TC, like the
Diamond Viper2 will?

From what I've gath-
ered from previews,
the MAXX will sup-
port DX6 and DX7
compression. Is that
the same? Will it sup-

port the S3TC textures of QUAKE 3;
ARENA, as this is not a DX game?
Any enlightenment you could share
would be greatly appreciated.

The texture compression in
DirectX is, in fact, S3TC. Microsoft
makes S3TC available in a flavor
called DXTC for Direct3D.

However, if a company wants to
use S3TC in an OpenGL game,
they need to license it dj'rectiy
from S3. Recently, ATI has
announced a licensing agreement
with S3, but they're the only PC
graphics maker to date to cut such
a deal.

Good PCI Card

O n my eMachine computer, all I
have for a 3D accelerator is a
PCI slot. I read CGW and saw that
you recommend a Voodoo2 1000.
But I want more than 12MB. What
would be another good 3D acceler-

ator for a PCI slot?

Your eMachj'ne has a fairly fast
CPU, so a Voodoo3/3000 PCI might
be a better fit than a VoodooZ.

However, you need to determine if
the graphics hardware currently
built into the system can be dis-
abled. If it can, then consider the
Voodoo3/3000 PCI accelerator.

Cheaper 1b Build or Buy?

am a college student. I was

wondering if it would be cheap-
er/better to build my own system,
or to buy one complete from some-
where like Gateway and do a
financing program. The main rea-
son I would like a computer would
be for games, mainly strategy
games like TIBERIAN SUN and
SEPTERRA CORE, but I would also
like it for Quicken and Word. Any
advice would be appreciated.

This is an age-old
question that has no
clear answer. It's not
necessarily cheaper
to build your own
system. But if you're
comfortable doing
this, it's almost
always better,
because you have
100% control (within
your budgetary con-
straints) over the
components that
make up th at sys-
tem.

Quick Tip: Easy Access to Game Controller Panel

T ired of plowing through the Control Panel to see if your
joystick is connected or calibrated? There's an easy
solution: Create a Game Controllers shortcut on your
Desktop. To do this, open Control Panel, right-chck the Game
Controllers icon, and hold down the right mouse button.

Drag the “ghost" of the icon onto your Desktop and release
the mouse-button. Select “Create Shortcut(s) Here" to create
the shortcut, and voila — instant access to the Game
Controllers control panel. This is especially handy for gamers
who like to use different controllers for different games.

1E4

FEBHUAflY 2000 • cgw.g:

ispot.coin • COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

Gratuitous Violence is 200 Times
Faster With a D-Link Network
Than With Online Games.

To get the Maximum performance out of
a multi-user game, get off the Internet
and get on a D-Link lO/lOOMb Fast Ethernet Network. Up to 200 times

www.dlink.com

faster than the Internet, and 10 times faster than other legacy
networks. Easy to set up and install, a D-Link 10/100 Network In A Box
comes with everything you need to build a Windows 95/98 Network.

EDlTOKS'l

CHOICE

★ ★★★★

^ cgtHPJS' SS nii™ =n-.si

Prices and Specifications are subject to change without notice. D-Link is a registered trademark and DFE-905 is a trademark of
D-Link Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. ©Copyright 1999 D-Link Systems Inc. All rights reserved.

GAMING

by Thierry “Scooter ” Nguyen

Pistol-Packing Pokemon

T he most memorable multiplayer experience I've had
recently didn't involve an Assault level in Unreal
TOURNAMENT. Rather, it prorainenily featured charac-
ters like Pikachu, Mario, and Donkey Kong, and it wasn't even
on a PC. I'm talking about how I’ve spent a lot of my down-
time playing SUPER SMASH BROTHERS on my neighbor's
Nintendo 64.

If you’ve never played it, imagine a traditional fighting
game seen through the eyes of Japanese children's show pro-
grammers. Instead of the same ol’ martial artists and panty-
flashers in other fighting games, this one has the signature
characters from Nintendo’s most famous
games, and doesn’t even have any blood.
What appeal could a Pokemon/Mario
fighting game have for me? The four-
player mode.

While the PC is spearheading the
multiplayer revolution, it’s missing
the multiplayer appeal that can be
found in arcades and consoles
everywhere: human contact. In PC
action games, you’re almost always
playing from the comfort of your own
system against people who are, in turn,
in their own environments, while the con-
soles and the arcades collert their players in the

same area.

I wonder why there aren't as many “head-to-head on the
same machine" options for shooters as there are for sports
games right now. Sure, it’s fun to anonymously frag some
goon online, but it's way more fun to talk trash face to face.
Even if voice technology becomes workable, seeing your oppo-
nent’s expression is half the fun. Only hermits find the distant
anonymity more appealing. While LAN games are a pretty
good substitute, it’s not always convenient to lug your

machine to your buddy’s house.

It's easier to just play a

Matrix,

The Game?

Scooter’s

Mix

1. Dogma

2. UNREAL
TOURNAMENT

3. Paradise Lost
by John MUton

4. Saving Private
Ryan on DVD

5. 1 Am Legend by
Richard Matheson

A fter I wrote about creative
licenses in my December
column, I read a story
about how Hideo Kojima (the
director of Konami’s METAL
GEAR SOLID for the
PlayStation) talked with the
Wachowski brothers
(writers/directors of The Matrix)
about how he admired the
movie. The Wachowskis, in turn,
talked about their addiction to
METAL GEAR SOLID after
putting The Mafr/> together. Of
course, with these like-minded
individuals coming together,
rumors of a Matrix game began

flying. Nothing official has been confirmed, but this sounds
like an interesting first step. I'll keep you posted.

Head-to-Head Shrink

S ince I’ve been using common sense psy-
choiogy to make my point In a couple of
columns (namely “Deathmatch is Dead”
and this one), I found a recent article about mul-
tiplayer psychology fascinating. This paper was
originally published in the proceedings of the
1999 Game Developer’s Conference, and
Gamasutra has reprinted it at
www.gamasutra.com/

features/19991110/Baron_01.htm. Check it out
while you're waiting for that new version of
COUNTERSTRIKE to download.

console game that he has right there.

What are the obstacles to head-to-head PC gaming?
Playing a deathmatch on one machine will require split-
screening, which some claim takes away from the experi-
ence, but I don’t see those GOLDENEYE or QUAKE64
addicts complaining. Monitors would have to be bigger,
since 17 inches can get crowded with four players. The
only teal obstacle is the control scheme, because even with
USB, two sets of keyboard and mouse are impracti-
cal. Gamepads are getting more shooter-friendly,
like the SpaceOrb and Microsoft's Dual Strike. The
Gravis Xterminator is another step in the right
direction; reposition one of the D-pads, and use one
for movement and one for mouselook (a Ja the
GOLDENEYE control scheme).

Given some time, single-machine-multiplayet
may become more plausible. But until developers
start trying it. I’ll have to stick to playing on my
friend’s Drearacast or Nintendo 64 to get a regular
dose of in-your-face multiplayer. 333

by Robert Coffey

fTTTTm

It’S Okay To nay With Yourself

I magine you're a square-headed lipless freak, irredeemably ugly, shunned by all of
mankind and the bulk of the animal kingdom. Your only hope for a normal life is to have a
human head transplant. But before you undergo your cranial upgrade, you’U have to make a
decision - do you have the family doctor squeeze in the noggin-swap between flu shots and ear
exams, or do you opt for a human head transplant specialist? I'm betting you'll pass up the risk of
forever looking over your shoulder and choose the specialist. So why aren't more of us applying the
same kind of logic to our thinking about solo and multiplayer gaming?

One or the Other

Just as action games are increasingly breaking down into either single-player or multiplayer
titles, strategy games are subtly doing the same thing, 1 say “subtly," because so far no strategy
title has flat out declared itself a multiplayer-focused title the way that games like STARSIEGE:
TRIBES or UNREAL TOURNAMENT have. Yes, both of these games have or will have a single-player
component, but the emphasis there is more on tutelage than on a hugely
rewarding solo experience along the lines of HALF-LIFE. So why can't
gamers cut the same sort of slack for strategy games? Why can't we let
a game do one thing great?

Look at JAGGED ALLIANCE 2, a rich, incredibly deep single-player-only
game blessed with an enormous amount of replayability, yet a game
some pundits in the gaming press dinged for not having a multiplayer
side. Good Lord, why? I can think of nothing more tedious than slogging
through a game of JA2 waiting for some anonymous online halfwit to decide
whether or not to have one of his meres reload - let alone stand by whOe he manages all that mili-
tia training. I'd rather choke on my own vomit.

AGE OF EMPIRES 2 illustrates the other end of the spectrum. Sure the single-player campaigns
are exponentially better than those of the first game, but AOE2 really shines in its multiplayer
game. While I've fiddled around with the campaigns, I find myself primarily playing the game
against other humans, or recreating that experience on a random map. As great a job as Ensemble
did with the single-player game, for myself and countless other gamers AGE OF EMPIRES 2 is a mul-
tiplayer game, and really nothing more.

Not Every Strategy
Game Needs
To Be Multiplayer

Rob’s

Mix

' 1. FREESPACB 2

2. UNREAL
TOURNAMENT

3. SIM THEME PARK

4. The minimalist
opera, Einstein on
the Beach, by Philip
Glass and Robert
Wilson

5. ‘Who Wants To Be
a Mlillonaire?” (still
waiting for Regis to
call me)

Thank You,
God

J ust in time for burn-
ing up those holi-
day gift certificates,
two of the most
beloved CGlVHall of

Unconditional Game Love

Does this mean that games shouldn't have both a single- and a multiplayer side? Not at aU. A
game like Command & conquer: Tiberian sun that does both pretty well, but neither over-
whelmingly, would be fairly disappointing if it opted for just one side or the other. But the insis-
tence of gamers that every single game give them stars as well as the moon hog-ties developers
into delivering both types of games, whether
they are called for or not. As exhilarating an
experience as single-player HOMEWORLD is, the
game as a whole is somewhat diminished by a
multiplayer game that doesn't come close to
comparing to its solo game. Had the multiplayer
component aaually sucked, Relic's visionary
masterpiece would have been significantly tar-
nished by the inclusion of a feature for which
there is just no real need.

1 predict that we'll start to see a rise in strate-
gy titles designed primarily for either multi- or
single-player play. In fact, we might be starting
to see the begirming of this in the shape of
online-only titles like Verant's SOVEREIGN. The either/or model adopted by the action gaming genre
will extend to the strategy side of the gaming world, with multiplayer games offering up limited
campaigns as nothing more than training scenarios.

And for this, we should be grateful. In a marketplace kneedeep in crap masquerading as enter-
tainment, there's absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t embrace games that provide outstanding
gameplay, regardless of focus. Denigrating a game that has fabulous solo play but has no multiplay
is hke disparaging Hendrbc for not being Picasso - there's no basis for comparison. If we as gamers
free designers from the limiting, greed-born tyranny of our unreasonable expectations, we will only
be rewarded with better games.

And a HOMEWORLD II that will kick your ass straight to the moon.

Fame strategy games
are out in new and
exciting forms. Blizzard
has finally granted the
fevered wishes of
WARCRAFT II fans with
the release of the
WARCRAR II
BATTLE.NET EDITION.
Forget about the
enhanced controls, low
$19.95 price, and the
100 - 1 - new maps; the
Battie.net Edition has
only one feature that
truly matters - free
Internet play over
Blizzard’s Battle.net.

If that’s not enough
retro gaming for you,
look for Hasbro’s X-
COM COLLECTOR'S
EDITION. All three of
the alien-busting epics
are bundled in one box
for $30. Forget about
playing the misguided
third game of the
series, and focus on
the first two, with their
ingenious blend of
strategy and squad

level tactics.

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD • cgw.gamespot.c

' FEBRUARY BODD

! 1B7

SIMULUTION a SPAGE

by Gordon Berg

Fighter Pilot for a Day 1

GW Editor Ken Brown - a shifty, shadowy, f

■ behind-the-scenes kind of editor - called me i
up recently and asked. “Ever hear of Air 1

grognar(l@concenlric.net

“See Gordon
Fly. See
Gordon Puhe.

Puke,

Gordon,

Puke."

Catch the
photo essay of

Gordon in all his high-flying glory at
ww^cri5^om/~gfog.nard/airr.oiii.bal/,

Bali High

L ast year's cannibalization o1
European Theater slms has
a damper on the most obvio

L ast year's cannibalization of WWII
European Theater slms has placed
a damper on the most obvious
choice of follow>ups: a WWII Pacific
Theater sim. Despite rumors of
Microsoft doing COMBAT FLIGHT
SIMULATOR 2 in the Pacific, we all know
what happened to Dynamix’s ACES
OVER THE PACIFIC 2, and I can’t dare let
myself hope for a PACIFIC AIR WAR 2
from MIcropros'e (yet).

So, In an effort to spark some Interest
and hopefully to provoke an effect akin
to what Smallwood’s Strike Eagle had on
the development of JANE’S F*1S, might i
suggest the following tome: Fire in the
Sky, The Air War in the South Pacific
(ISBN#081332985X). Written by Eric
Bergerud, this 723'page volume chroni-
cles the strategy and tactics, the tech-
nology, and most Importantly, the sto-
ries of the pilots themselves from both
sides of the conflict.

When not engaged in aerial maneuvers,

Gordon Berg woilrs as a network administrator
for a non-profit social services oi^anization.

Gordon’s

Mix

7. JANE’S USAF

4. AGE OF WONDERS

5. WARBIRDS (can’t
miss squad night)

Combat USA? You know, one of those dogfighting-for-
real type of flights? Wouldn’t that make for a dandy
column?"

"That depends," I responded, "on how you feel
about puking."

“Oh. puking is great! ” Brown exclaimed. “Our read-
ers really like puke. The more puke the better! "

With that, I and my oh-so-weak stomach accepted
the assignment: to throw up all over the skies of
Cincinnati,

Air Combat USA (and other services like it) definite-
ly let you find out just what a real dogfight feels like.

It's an adrenaline pumping, positive G-inducing, stom-
ach wrenching, full blown (pun intended), incred-
ibly intense once-in-a-lifetime experience. You
are at the controls. You make the decisions. You puO the trigger.

Such an experience begs some obvious questions: How closely can
I compare a computer simulation to the real thing? What do I think
most simulations get right or wrong? Just how many times did I
I heave?

What They Get Right

Much to my surprise, most simulations capture the visuals per-
fectly. Despite the obvious limitations presented by a computer dis-
play, I had a sort of “been there, done that" experience while up in the
air. For example, in many simulated dogfights there's an alternating state of
energy advantage/disadvantage between both aircraft, especially in maneuvers con-
taining a mixture of both vertical and horizontal elements. Each pilot experiences a
fleeting moment of near elation, quickly followed by near panic because the target is
suddenly an aggressor. I have long hated the way the opposing plane seems to
hang suspended in mid-air, whDe you revolve around his axis and he dives toward
your tail. “Bah," I always thought, "daiim 2D screens,” But that’s precisely what it
looks like in real life.

I'm also less inclined now to bitch about flight models. Much of what I did up in
the air was the same tiring I’ve been doing for years on a computer, regardless of
the simulation, WARBIRDS, EUROPEAN AIR WAR, JANE'S WWII FIGHTERS, SDOE -
they all more or less recreate the fundamental concepts of ACM and BFM perfectly,
by approximating any given fighter plane’s strengths and weaknesses. Yes, stalling
a Mustang requires different techniques for each sim, but you still perform a low yo-
yo the same way in each game. Even though each sim flies differently, they all do
very well in capturing the heart of the fight itself: the tactics necessary to win.

What Could Use Improvement

There was one thing that got me into a lot of trouble up there, and for that I blame
my sim experience. I was constantly buffeting my Marchetti, meaning I didn’t stay
within its ideal performance envelope. Avoiding this requires a pilot to “ride the
tickle" of the stick, but I had a hard time noticing the buffetting - 1 was too busy
trying to point the nose of my plane at the enemy. In fact, if it weren't for my
Instructor/Copilot ("Quit buffeting.. .quit buffeting.. .stop buffeting the damn air-
craft!!!’’), I would have had no idea that there was a problem.

Still, it explained why I often couldn’t quite line up my target. But if I didn't
notice the problem in real life, how am I going to tell in a simulation? While most
sims do penalize extreme behavior, hardly any give enough indication that you're
doing something less than ideally. Force feedback is the most obvious solution, but
I’ve yet to encounter a feedback effect as realistic and as subtle as what 1 personal-
ly experienced.

Oh yeah, I filled three barf bags while in flight, and one on the ride back to the
hotel. This thrUled Ken Brown to no end. Now he's trying to get me to take one of
those Mig rides over in Russia. Ken...uh,..no.

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

by George Jones

The PC That
Knew Too Much

B ack In our November issue, Inside
Gaming questioned - with moral
indignation > the pigskin integrity
of MADDEN 2000 and NFL FEVER 2000, our
official prognosticators for the current
football season. We wondered what kind
of drugs these games’ designers were on
when we saw the Tennessee Titans and
Jacksonville Jaguars dominating the digi-
tal AFC. We gasped with horror when the
Niners failed to make the playoffs, and
when the Broncos barely played .500 ball.

Who knew that MADDEN 2000 would be
more right than Just about every sports-
caster and odds-maker in predicting the
abrupt changing of the guard the NFL has
seen this year? This Is particularly the
case in the AFC, where the Tennessee
Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars did very
well. In fact, in two season sims, Madden
picked the Jags and the Titans to go to
the Super Bowl. In both cases, however,
the AFC champ lost out, first to the
Vikings and then to the Packers. NFL
Fever also picked the Jaguars to play
themselves Into the Super Bowl.

Outside of predicting that the 49ers
would stink, neither game was very strong
in looking at the NFC’s future. Both titles
picked the Packers and the Vikings to play
well. Both titles totally dismissed the
Rams and Lions.

Here are each game’s two Super Bowl
predictions:

NFL FEVER 2000
Denver 27, Minnesota 14
Jacksonville 7, Minnesota 28.

MADDEN 2000
Minnesota 24, Jacksonville 10
Green Bay 31, Tennessee 17.

Sports Game Controllers

G iven the pending arrival of Microsoft’s brand
new Sidewinder Game Pad, we assumed that
our sports game pad decision was a no-brainer.
But the controller's outrageously mushy, non-tactile
directional pad (see our review last issue) makes it sur-
prisingly horrible for sports games. With Logitech’s
WingMan Extreme also failing to satisfy us - its overly
long handles create too much fatigue in
fast action games - we found our-
selves right back where we
started.

Here's hoping that
Microsoft gets it right the
next time around- In the
meantime, the CGW
offices are currently divid-
ed into two different old-
school gamepad camps: the
original Sidewinder Game Pad
and Gravis' Game Pad Pro.

George Jones:
Sports Psvchic

I write this before January 1, with no idea who
will actually be reading this month's Inside
Gaming: average, everyday human beings; or lip-
less, drooling nuclear mutants with teeth where

their eyeballs should be. I guess it doesn't
really matter. No matter who or what
you are— if you’re reading this, you
like sports games. Or you’re des-
perately in need of paper.

Either way, I press on.

Since this is the first official
sports column of the “future,”

I can indulge an urge I’ve had
for many moons; making pro-
found, earth-shattering predic-
tions. Read and heed the wise words of George
Sports Psychic. And take these futuristic visions to

3. The Chris Rock
Show (HBO)

4. Snow Crash by
Neal Stephenson

S. Los Angeles
Lakers (God's team)

Jones,
the bank.

• Following in the footsteps of VR Sports and the unrealized ESPN PC sports
line, Fox Interactive Sports will fail to make inroads into the digital sports arena
and abandon the project, mostly due to a lackluster first year in a category domi-
nated by other brands. Hey, I wish it weren't true, but the coffee grounds don't
lie. And Fox’s first batch of games were average at best. By 2001, Fox Sports
won't exist as a PC sports game label.

• In the next two years, some bright sports gaming group will devise an amaz-
ingly elaborate, widely-embraced online fantasy football league that will tran-
scend the typical ESPN.com and Yahoo format

by allowing more strategic depth than simply
picking your starting players. (Imagine career
rotisserie leagues with varying levels of difficul-
ty in coaching strategy and front office decision-
making.) EA Sports has a little bit of a head
start here. Will they be the golden ones? The
crystal is cloudy....

• Infogrames (or someone else) will try to res-
urrect the HARDBALL series. It will not work.

• A wise sports game group will create a
sports game that incorporates story and role-
playing. The gaming equivalent of Hoop
Dreams or The Longest Yard.

• Text-based sports games will make their

return.. .on the Web, in Java. Perhaps in multiplayer form, these could serve as
the sports junkie's equivalent to “classic" gaming like checkers and chess.

• We'll see yet another Monday Night Football game. It will suck, just as the
previous two incarnations did.

• Someone will take a stab at a game that allows five-on-five or eleven-on-
eleven multiplayer action. The only thing I can't predict is whether or not it will
work. If someone figures out ways to balance these multiplayer games so that
everyone plays a meaningful and interesting role, it will work,

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

FEBRUARY 2000

169

by Desslock

RPG / ADVENTURE

Going Pagan

I n spite of its funky proprietary memory manager,
chaotic combat, and the nasty bugs in its initial
release, ULTIMA Vll; THE BLACK GATE is now regarded
as one of the best role-playing games ever made. Creator
Origin Systems knew that ULTIMA VII was special, even for a
product in computer gaming's most acclaimed series, and
quickly released an equally successful spin-off and two expan-
sion packs.

In spite of the accolades the game and its spin-off garnered,
Origin Systems opted for a substantially different design for
the next core game in the
series. The result was
ULTIMA vni: PAGAN, a game
that was almost universally
panned by ULTIMA veterans
and the North American gam-
ing press.

While other games that
receive poor reviews quickly
fade from memory, PAGAN inspired gamers to hurl vicious
criticisms at Origin Systems (and its new parent company,
Electronic Arts), initiate accusations of betrayal, and clamor
for a virtual coup of ULTIMA’S sovereign, Lord British.

The backlash caused Origin Systems to reconsider the
direction the series had taken, resulting in the cancellation of
the planned expansion pack and delaying the release of the
next game for over five years. With the benefit of hindsight,
I'm going to reexamine whether the outcry was justified, or
just the result of unreahstic expectations.

Mario the Avatar?

Even though each successive
ULTIMA game sold more copies
than its predecessors, by the mid-
1990s role-playing games were no
longer the most commercially suc-
cessful genre. The creators of
PAGAN tried to reach a broader
audience by emphasizing visceral,
action-oriented gameplay and
downplaying the complexity and
non-linearity of earlier Ultima
games. Making a more accessible
game was an understandable cor-
porate goal, and even if that decision alienated veteran fans,
it wouldn’t inherently result in a bad game.

Unfortunately, even judged as an action/RPG hybrid. PAGAN
was disappointing. Action-oriented jumping puzzles and
arcade-like combat didn’t just feel out of place; they were
badly implemented. Combat lacked the depth and fluidity of a
polished action game and was, at best, a dull clickfest. At
worst, it was extremely frustrating. The isometric perspective
and interface proved pathetically inadequate for the jumping
puzzles. It was extremely difficult to predict where your char-
acter would land, making each of the hundreds of mandatory
jumps a potential trip to the reloading screen.

PAGAN'S soundtrack was outstanding, but few gamers had
General MIDI sound cards, and the non-MIDI soundtrack was
far less interesting. The character animations were excellent,
but in many ways the graphics seemed less stunning than

those in ULTIMA VII. The beau-
tiful beaches of that game, for
example, were replaced in
PAGAN by jagged, blue "edges"
that bore little resemblance to
actual shorelines. Gamers
would have to wait a couple
years for Blizzard’s DIABLO in
order to play a well-crafted,
accessible, action-oriented RPG
hybrid.

Lack of Morals

Judged as an ULTIMA game,

PAGAN rates even worse - as it
abandoned most of the iimova-
tions that made the ULTIMA
series so popular. The games
were legendary for their
detaUed and immersive gaming
worlds, but PAGAN provided a
non-interactive, stagnant realm that was populated by only a
handful of NPCs.

Gone were the day/night cycles, the interactive environ-
ment, and meaningful subquests. A more notable omission
was the ethical theme infused in the series since ULTIMA IV.
Since that landmark game, the ULTIMAS had established both
an ethical code of virtues, and plots with great moral depth. In
PAGAN, the series protagonist, the Avatar, enters an

unknown, relatively-stable world
and leaves it in shambles, all in
pursuit of a selfish quest to
return home. There was nothing
virtuous about the Avatar's
actions, and there was certainly
no moral depth. It was just a bad
action game that foolishly aban-
doned the traditional strengths
of the series.

ULTIMA Vni: PAGAN was a
project that failed on almost
every level. A significant patch
subsequently fixed the most
egregious problems, but that
effort came too late to save it from gaming infamy. Series cre-
ator Richard Garriott would later apologize for pagan, saying
his terrible strategic mistake was deciding to be a good corpo-
rate citizen and ship the game on schedule, instead of when it
had been properly polished.

It's been a long time since PAGAN was released, but the
game is still worth remembering as an example of how a lack
of perspective can cause an experienced development team
with justifiable ambitions to produce a disastrous product. Did
they fare any
better with
ULTIMA IX? My
verdict on that
game is on page
86 of this issue.

Revisiting the
Darkest Hour in
the UITIMA Series

Desslock’s

Mix

1. ULTIMA IX:
ASCENSION

2. The final cut-scene
in FREESPACE 2.

3. Game soundtracks
in special-edition
releases.

4. The Insider

5. VAMPIRE THE
MASQUERADE:
REDEMPTION (alpha)

For daily RP6 news updates, check out
Desslock’s RPG News at
desslock.qaniespot.com .

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Pharaoh

Prince of Persia 30
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'STARCRAFT 64’ 24lh
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v/ar, But the Invasion by 2
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forces them to join In a
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60 missions including
miilllplayer, original & all
new. Play as the Terrans,
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Erect & defend structures,
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repair buildings, and
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CHIPS&BITSinc.

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Demolition Racer
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Descent 3 Mercenary
Descent: Freospace 2
Detnkarz
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Heit Life

Halt Lite Oppslng Frc
Heavy Gear 2
Hidden i Dangerous
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Kingpin: Life Crime
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Quake 3 Arena
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Resident Evil 2
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Bungle (Aclion)

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PC CD

Hype: Time Ouesi
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Last Call

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Nociurne

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Omlkron: Nomad Soul
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Prince of Persia 3D
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Stooby-Doo:Mysl Fun Pk
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Apache 06/95
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Caesar's Palace 2000 11/99
Comanche 4 10/99
Comanche Gold 05/98
DiH Track Racing 10/99
Extreme S2 12/99
F-15 03/98
F-16AgiessDr 06/99
F-22ADFRedSeaOps 10/98
F-22Uohtnlng 3 05m
Falcon 4 OwBinder 12/98
FignierAce2 iim
Fighter Squadrn: SOOE 03m
Flight Unlimited 3 09m
FLY! OSm
iF/A-ia CSF 08/98
Independence War Dix 08m
Inenia 04/99
Inieiceptor 03V99
iPanzer 44 04/98
Jane's F/A-18 11/99
Jane's USAf lOm
Jet Fighter 3 Classic 09/99

$4999

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S9.S9

$39.99

Jet Fighter Full Burn 07m
MechWarriat 3 06/99

MechWamorSExpPk 12/99
Midnight GT 10/99

MgAlley 12/99

Monster Truck Madnss 2 07/98
MotoRacerGPP 11/98
Motoctoss Madness 2 12/99

MS CFS Battle Midway 08/99
MS CFS Combat Exp Pk 10/99
MS CFS Combat Pilot 1 01/00

MS Combat Rlghl Sim 11/98
MS Flight Sim 2000 10/99

MS Flight Sim 2000 PE 10/99
MS Flight Sim 98 09/S7

MS Flight Sim Triple Pk OSi^S
MSFS98AfrcnSalri 02m
MS FS 98 Air Force One 09/93
MSFS98MegaScenerY 11/98
Nations Fighter Command 10.m
Need Speed S.Mtr Cny 12m
NHRA Drag Racing 09m
Nuclear Strike 11/97

Panzer Commander 05/98
Panzer Elite lOm

Pedal to the Metal OBm
Privateer 2 SE 12/97

R/C Pilot 02/99

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Red Baron 3D
Red Line Racer
Redllne 03/99 $17.99

ReVolI flSm $33.99

Silent Hunter 2 11/99 $48.99

Starsiege 03/99 $22.99

Steel Be

11/98 $34.99 Test Drive 6 10/99 S

08/96 $39.99 Test Drive Ofl Road 3 10r99 $

Train Di5patctier2 08/98 5

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Wmg Comm 5: Prpey Gld 10/96 3

Wings ol Destiny 11/99 3

SU-27 Flanker 2

11/99 $44.99 WW II fighters

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m Interceptor

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MIGHTY 8TH' Command the
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across Europe. Locate and bomb
strategic targets, and defend the
plane from furious enemy attacks.
Breathtaking air combat sequences
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Microprose (Simulation)
Release; Q2/0D
PC CD <

SONY PLAYSTATION

0 $44.99
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ue Marlin 11/99 $44.99

12 02/00 $44.99

2 12/99 S42.B9

illPowsr 02/00 $42 99

PSX System
Rainbow Six
Resident Evii 3:Nemesis
Spyroihe Dragon 2
Suikoden 2

2000

M torn s
kmbtn 12 m $
tihoiogy 1099 S

9 $42.39
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Test Drive 6
Tomb Raider Lst Revltn
Tomorrow Never Dies
Tony Hawks Pro Skater
Twisted Metal 4

COMPUTER GAMES: HARDWARE

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OZAIO $44 99
12fl9 $39.99
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j NINTEMPg 64 _

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SailekCyboio 2000Jslk 04/99 $24.99
SailekP120POPad 10/99 $9.99
Sailek P20a0 Till Pad 10/99 $44.99
Sailek PC Dash 04/98 $49.99

SailekRIOORacingWhl tO/99 $49.99
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Sailek USB Hub
SaitekX-35T System
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Space Orb 360
TM Fusion Game Pad
TM Reflex USB 3D Jysik 05/99 $38
TM Top Gun Jysik USB
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ATI Xpert 128 16MB 03m $99
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DREAMCAST

PC:BUNDLES

1164 Rumble Pak
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Nightmare Creatures 2 03/00 S56.99

Pokeman Stadium 02/00 $59.99

Resident Evil 64 11/99 $64 99

Slarcraft 01/00 $54.99

Tuiok Dino Hunters 11/99 $54.99

WWF Wrestlemania 2000 11/99 $62.99

Armada
BaiOur s Gale

Casiievania Resutiecin
Oreamcast Conitoliei
Dreamcasi System
Max Payne
Rainbow Six
Resident Evil Code Vein
Sega Sports NBA 2K
Soul Fighter
Speed Devils
Wild Metal Country

Iim $48.99
11/99 $52 99
lOm $49.99
01/00 $49.99
09/99 $29.99
asm $229 99
11/99 $48.99
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I 01/00 $49 99

Gold OSm $28'

neVearCllcln 02m $59.'
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Op Art War: Elite Ed
Starcraii Bill Chest
Tonib2/Total Bundle
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oem $44
12/98 $39
10/99 $19
11/99

j STARS’ Turn-based
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I exploration, colonization
I & conquest. Dive into the
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jters or simply focus on
galactic exploration and
enemy destruction.
Features more than 30
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Mindscape (Strategy)

G.O.D. (Strategy)
V Release: NOW
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Source Code 11227

Coming

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The Sims

Rising Sun
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Soon!

'AGE OF WONDERS' Age of
Wonders is a turn-based game of
strategy and conquest that suc-
cessfully incorporates adventure,
exploration and role playing ele-
ments. These elements, together
with a rich story line and heavy
emphasis on global strategy with-
out repetitive micro-management,
make each scenario and game
unique and fun to play.

ROLE PLAYING J ! BOARD GAMES |

COMPUTER GAMES: STRATEGY

'STAR TREK: NEW WORLDS’ Play
as the Federation. Klingons or the
Romulans in the year 2292. Each
race offers a new style of gameplay,
race behaviors and a view of the
games story arc from 3 different
perspectives. Features a variety of
single player and up to 6 multl-playj
er mission objectives. You have
complete control over the 30 world
and its inhabitants.

Interplay ,

Release: 2/01
PC CD

Dungeon Keeper Gold
Eanh2150
Emergency Rooin 2
Empire of me Ams
Entrectcneur
Entrepreneur Corp Exp
Evolution
Extreme Tactics
Farmland USA
Final Countdown
Fleet Command
Force 2 1

Fragile Allegiance

COMPUTER GAMES: ROLEPLAYING

COMPUTER GAMES: WAR

iCi;

story brought to life through high
quality computer generated graph-
ics & elegantly composed sound &

EA (Roleplaying)
Release: 02/00
PC CD

'DIABLO II: INFERNO’ As one of 5
character types, you'll journey
across distant lands, fight new vil-
lains, discover nevr treasures &
uncover ancient mysteries. Five
new character classes with unique
attributes & abilities. Expanded
world ol new quests, weapons,
spelts, monsters & non-player
characters. Full multiplayer & inter-
net support.

Blizzard (Roleplaylng)
^ Release: 2/00
PC CD

ipand the specllied amount on any in-stack soflwaie and choose one iSpandSSD Cyberjudas CD, Realms Aikania Trilogy CD. Spaceward HO! CO
ree IBM game iiom the corresponding list. Request must be made at Spend $100 Empire 2 CD. HatpaoR 97 CD, Master Orion 2 CD, WIzaidry Gold CD
ime dI Older. Olfer good onin-slock software only, while supplies Iasi. Spend $200 7th Guest 2 CD, Capitalism PlusCD. WailordsSCD, X Com
.Imit 2 percuslomer. Valid thiough January 6. 2000. [Apocalypse CD

under S200lamrarMSh. COD $8. Price, release, availability, shipping times

require added S&H. Within 10 days defectives repaired or replaced at

final. S&H calculated on a per order, per shipment, and per item basis.

ur discretion. After 10 days the manufacturer's warrantee applies. All sales fi
he 'per order’ charge is charged once per order placed, the ’per item’ charge
charged once 'of ^ch ilem^ ordered and the ’per sh^pranf^ctiarg^ejs

rill be allocated to a 12 issue subscription to f^'ompuler Games Strategy Plus.

$37.99

$39.99

$44.99

$39.99

'ROAD TO MOSCOW’ Control
Russian or German troops & play
any of 12 scenarios or command
the entire Eastern Front. Wage war
on real terrain with realistic repre-
sentation of command & control -
no hexes, no turns, just pure simu-
lation ot military command on an
unprecedented scale. Authentic
NATO symbology & detailed maps
convey tremendous depths of infor-
mation.

»>■» CHIPS i sits PiC

ccwsccvs

ADVERTISER INDEX

3DO

Armv Men Air Tactics

3DO

104-107

Acclaim EnteHainmenl

Southpark Rally

109

Activision

Quake III: Arena

C2 C4. 1

A,-.li-/i<,i"n

Star Trek Armada

I4.1fi

Activision

Soldier ol Fortune

24-25

Activision

Vam Dire

28-29

Auifeal Inc.

A3D

Bradv Gamos

PC Slratetiv Guide. Final Fanlasv VIII

BUY.COM

BuvPCGames.com

56-57

Cavodofi

I602 A0.

154-155

Chios & Bas

www.cdmaa.com/chiDs.hlml

172-173

Council on Comoulma Poww

RAM

Cioativn 1 abs

Webcam Go

CrAalivo Labs

Sound Blaster

149

D-Link

D-Link Nelworkinri Kit

165

Dell Comoulei Cniooratinn

Dimension i Inspiron Lines

C5-Cfl

Diamond Multimedia

Viper

139

EA Soorts

1 17-119

Eidos Interactive

Daikatana

4-5

Eidos Interactive

Urban Chaos

6-7

Eidos Interactive

Deus El

18-19

Eidos Interactive

Tomb Raider" The Last Revelalion

Eidos Interactive

Thief 2

42-43

Fidns (nler.acli.e

Omikron

44-45

Eidos Interactive

Revenant

46-47

Electronic Arts

The Sims

53-55

Electronic Arts

F/A IS

58-59

Falcon Northoesl

Gamina Systems

137

r,ame,Mve com

171

Wheel olTime

140-141

GT Interactive Software

Unreal Tournament

128B-C

Hasbro Interactive

Gunship'

114-115

Hasbrn Interactive

f.i-iieslv

132-133

Hasbro Interactive

Risk II

147

Interolav Productions Inc.

Messiah

2-3

Ice Wind n.ilP

Interplay Productions Inc. Evotva 1 1 1

LucasArts Entertainment

Indiana Jones and the Inlernal Machine

6-9

DIose Combat 4

120-131

nVidia

Nvidia

128A

Kincidom Under Fire

76-77

Rive,

36-37

Ripcord Games

Spec Ops II

94-95

SeciaSoH Networks Inc.

lOsix

50-51

Ground Control

Ifi-17

Nascar 3

22-23

Sierra On-bne

Swal 3

66 69

Homewodd

7879

Sierra On-Line

Nascar Leriends

90-91

Wild WId West

30-31

S''ulfiPftak Inleraclive

RIare .and Rl.ade

125

143

Talonsoft

T?ar

Risinei Sun

101

Code Name Eaale

130

Talonsoh

Devil's Bndrie

145

UGO

Pre-Order Promotion

No.

70-71

Firestorm

126-127

135

163

7DNel

ZDNel

128D

eunintttM UNO e«o

ERICHIPPEAU
cHitr nwAMcrtt ometn

TIMOTHY C. O BRIEN

JASON E. CHUDN0F5KY

20 eotiPotAn ocmnow

TERRI HOLBROOKE

ID POitUmHO

MICHAEL S PERUS

DANROSENSWEIG
P tPUCATieW

TERRY NULTY

LARRY W. WANG8ERG

imon »IC« >IH»IPCKT»

J MALCOLM MORRIS. GENERAL COUNSEL ANO SECRETARY
OARWR OTTE. DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
CHARLOTTE RUSH. CORPORATE MARKETING

MARK MOYER. CONTROLLER
STUART SIMON TAX
THOMAS L WRIGHT. TREASURER
TRACY MrrCHELL. HUMAN RESOURCES
JAMES RUST. INFORMATION HCHNOLOGY
MARYLOU BERK. CORPORATE PROGRAMS
LEE FELDMAN. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
BARBARA LYON. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
ELOA VAlf. CORPORATE RESEARCH
iwTMiuTBo cmwT tcuvrcf

NANCY NEWMAN, EXECLfTWE VICE PRESIDENT
AARON GOLDBERG. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
RITA BURKE. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
SCOTT MURPHY. VICE PRESIDENT CORPORATE SALES

PK«IPtWt

MICHAEL S PERLI5

««ieun»i vice w»««40P<T«/»o»Li>mNQ

JACK COLCE [THE ENTERPRISE GROUP|. TOM MCGRADE [ZD PUBLISHING
MANAGEMENT]. MICHAEL J MIUER [PC MAGAZINE). JIM SPANFElLER
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««wio« vtei >»mptwT«/piP»u«HiNa

PETER LQNGO (PUBLISHER PC MAGADNE)

ALAN PERLMAN [PUBLISHER. INTERACTIVE WEEK)

JOHN DODGE (EDITOR PC WEEK], G BARRY GDLSON (EIC. YAHOOl
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VP ANO GENERAL MANAGER. MARK VAN NAME
CHIEF nCHNOLOGY OFFICER. ZD LABS, BILL CATCNINGS
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DIRECTOR ZD LABS. LAUREN BLACK

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT. NANCY NEWMAN

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT. RITA BURKE

VICE PRESIDENT CUENT MARKETING. MICHAEL PERKOWSKI

VICE PRESIOENT CORPORATE SALES, SCOTT MURPHY

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD [ISSN 07A«6$71 IS PUBUSHED MONTHLY
BY ZIFFDAVIS. COPYRIGHT Z BOOO DFFDAVIS AU. RIGHTS RESERVED.
MATERIAL IN THIS PUBLICATION MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY
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Tl REISE ANT MATERIAL IN IIIS HUICATIIN.

IBIAIN A RERMISSIIN REIIESI FIRM AT
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COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

FEBRUARY 2000 ,

^Dlcion p,

by left areeii

The Importance Of Being Pidgey

te that a Gaimefcoy in my podket , or am I just hepp^ to be hsne?

A S a lifelong oddball, nothing turns me off more
than trendy marketing fads. Okay, 1 suppose
naked photos of Bea Arthur might turn me off
more, but I'm still waiting for those to arrive in the mail,
so I can’t say for sure yet. The point is, when something
gets extremely popular, that's usually my signal to run
in the other direction.

So when this whole Pokemon thing began heating up,

I fully intended to ignore it with my usual snobbish dis-
dain. I did this quite successfully at first, laughing with
my fellow wizards in my online Magic guild about what
loser geeks all those Pokemon fans were.

But over the last month or so, as the mama has
reached an insane critical mass— appearing on the cover
of Time the week I write this — it became clear to me
that ] needed to check it out, I am, after all, a gaming
professional, A pundit, if you will. And no gaming pun-
dit worth his Protoss action toy can ignore a phenome-
non that has now raked in tens of billions of dollars in
cross-promotional sales.

Besides, our esteemed editor-in-chief, George Jones,
recently became addicted to Pokemon, In addition to
being a gaming professional, I am also a world-class
suck-up. What better way to bond with the boss and
advance my career than to share in one of his interests?

the game itself is really quite
incredible, and any PC game developer— or
gamer— looking for a sterling example of game balance
should drop their pretentions and check this thing out.
Because what it is, really, is a pretty serious role-play-
ing/strategy game, masquerading as a kid's toy.

To try to catch and train all 150 Pokemon, you’ll
explore and fight your way through a huge gameworld,
with a variety of rewards constantly propelling you for-
ward, The fighting and magic systems are creative and
deep, and the sheer number of monsters at your dispos-
al ensures that no two gamers will ever have the same
experience. Your first fights will seem almost too easy,
lulling you into thinking that you are in fact playing a
dumb kids’ game, but I guarantee that once you're far
into it — I'm 30 hours in and not halfway done — you'll be
just as engrossed and obsessed with winning as in any
PC game. And if you think I’m joking, then you haven't
played it.

Me: This Pokemon game sure is great, huh sir?
George: I'm kinda busy here.

Me: Who do you think is cooler, sir, Jigglypuff or
Cubone?

George: Get back to your desk, Green.

Me: Another excellent idea sir! You’re a
genius!

My point here is just that gamers, all gamers, should
be careful who and what they disdain. We shouldn't get
above ourselves here. We shouldn’t pretend that just
because we play OPERATIONAL ART OF WAR or ALPHA
CENTAURI that we somehow occupy a loftier, more
respectable position in society than the Pokemon fans. I
mean, who are we kidding? To the lumpen mainstream
mass out there, to those who have no clue what the dif-
ference is between Mario and CIVILIZATION, we’re all a

■ ■ I

So I bought Pokemon for the Color
Gameboy. (Pokemon Red. for those who care.)

And what I learned, and what I want to share
with you this month, is this: It's not the
godawful kiddie toy from hell that 1 was
expecting, but it’s actually,. .good,

I know that this is not what you want to hear. It’s cer-
tainly not what I planned on writing. If there's any topic
ripe for ridicule, it's Pokemon. For example, when I read
that over 200 people lined up before 6 a.m. at my local
Toys R Us on the day after Thanksgiving just to get
some kind of Pokemon scratch card, all 1 could think
was: These people should have all been rounded up,
put in a bus with bars on the windows, and sold to the
Pentagon for military experimentation. Because clearly
their time as functioning members of society has long
since passed.

But, see? There I go again, being a snob. The fact is,
you need to separate Pokemon the game— which is what
started this whole mess— from Pokemon the annoying
media phenomenon. You may not want to know this, but

Pokemon is really quite incredible, and any
PC game deueloper-or gamer-looking for a
sterling example of game balance should drop
their pretentions and check this thing out.

bunch of immature geeks, right? So why fight amongst
ourselves?

The fact is, the Pokemon crowd is a lot closer to us
than you might realize. And a lot of them are going to
grow up to be us. So the next time you see a kid playing
the game, don't shake your head and mutter to yourself
about the decline of Western civilization. Let it be a
time for bonding, instead. Ask him if he’s caught a
Snorlax, You'll put a smile on his face, and he just might
remember that the first time he goes online to kick your
ass in STARCRAFT.

What Jeff doesn't realize is that his 42^^^ level
Venusaur is no match for his PR pal Erica 's Level
Mewtwo. Pity the fool at )eff_green@zd.com.l±LJ

Compiiler Raming World (ISSM 07(4-6567j is puhiished numiHly by ZD Inc. E.ZSltiStral ^enitork. UY lOOK-TSSQ. SubstriiHiDn rxte is WSl lor 3 one-feair si±isoi|iniBn (12
issues). Canada and ^1 other CDimlries add S16D9 for surface mail. Fosomasler; Send address cfian^ H Ceciiuta Gvning WorAcl. PjD. Box 57C7. Boirfder. CO ^32B-7I^. Canadan GST
regeimion number is 85371 0142 RL Carada Post Imentalioiui Pub's Mail Produol {Canada OstrCnition) Sales Agreanern ^9645. Periodicals jxstaoe paid at tlen Vionk. IIY 119016
icid additcxiai mailing ^offices. Printed in the U.Sd>.

176

FIBRUARY 2000

COMPUTER BAMINO WORLD

liilli

Your sfereo has reason for concern. Because we can customize your Dell"' Dimension’ PC into a true
music monster. The pre-tested and factory-installed Jukebox software lets you download MP3 files off
the net, and convert your CD collection. The 51 2 Voice sound card, combined with enhanced Jukebox
software provides CD-quality playback. And you can store your entire CD collection on a roomy hard
drive and create play lists; no more fumbling for that CD you just knew you hod yesterday. It's one more
benefit of the Deli4me''‘'- total ownership experience, A complete resource for products and services that
make it easy for you to get the most out of technology.

DELL4me I I YOUR THOUGHTS EXACTLY.

NEW DELL' D//WfA/S/OW^ XPSB667r Desktop
The Audiophile's Nirvana

• iniol’ Pentium' lii Processor at 667MHe ■ 128MB ECC PC700 RDRAM at 356MHz

■ 27,3GB‘ Uilra ATA Hard Drive ■ 17" (16.0- vis. .26dp) M780 Monitor

• A/eW32MB NVi01ATNT2 M64 4X AGP Graphics ■ 48X Max'Variabie CD-ROM Drive

■ /VEWSB Livel Vaiue Digital with MusicMatch' Jukebox Enhanced"

■ WEWAilec Lansing ADA885 Dolby Digital Speakers with Subwoofer

■ V.90 56K Capable" PCI Tclepltony Modem for Windows

■ Microsoft’ Works Suite 2000 with Money 2000 Basic

■ Microsoft’ Windows’ 98, Second Edition

■ 1-Yoar Dellnet’’'' Internet Access" Service with 20MB of Online Backup"

■ 3-Year Limited Warranty- ■ 1-Year Al-Home Service’

<t ^JZOO ^ AslowasS71yMo.,for48Mos.’’

^ ^ J 7 7 bB E*VAtUECODE;89554-500124s
Dell Recommended Upgrades:

■ RIO 500 Portable Digital Audio Player, add S269

■ 19“ (18.0" vis, .26dp) M990 Monitor, add S1 18

■ Microsoft’ Natural Keyboard Pro, Dell* Edition, add S59

1.800.545.7126 mon.sun, m-npci www.dell4me.com

BE DIRECT"

D^LI.

pentiumo///

“Monthly payments based on sales price depicted for 48-mo. term at 13.99% APR. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIR
FOR THIS APR. APR for qualified customers varies by creditworthiness of customer as determined by Dell Financial
Services LP. Payments exclude taxes and shipping charges that vary. Taxes & shipping charges due with 1st
payment unless included in the amount financed, in which case your monthly payment will be higher. Purchase
Plan offered through Dell Financial Services L.P., 14050 Summit Dr., Austin, TX 78728, to U.S. state residents
(including D.C.) with approved credit, excluding AR and MN residents. Availability may be limited or offer may
vary in other states.

BRINGING GRE4T V/ALUES HOME

DELL' INSPIRON'" 7500 Notebook
Mobile Desktop

■ W£kVlniel* Pentium' III Processor at 500MHz ■ 15. 4" SXGA TFT Active Matrix Display

■ 128MB 100MHz SDRAM ■ WekVl26B' UltraATA Hard Drive 175GB Max'T

■ /V£W Removable Combo 32X Max*' Variable CD-ROM and Floppy Drive

■ 2X AGP 8MB ATI RAGE Mobility "-P 3D Video

■ 3D Positional Sound with Wavetable

■ Internal PCI 56K Capable” V.90 Fax Modem

^ Q jC yf rt ^ As low as S97/MO., (or 48 Mos.”

BO E'VAlUBCODt:89553-800135
Dell Recommended Upgrade:

■ Inspiron " 7500 Advanced Port Replicator (includes 10/100 NIC Card)

■ A/SIM HASBRO' Interactive Family Gaming 5-Pack"

■ harman/kardon Speakers

Add S379 E*VALUECODE:89553-800139a

DELL’- INSPIRON'* 7500 Notebook
Mobile Desktop

■ NElVIntol* Pentium" III Processor at 500MHz

■ 15" XGA Active Matrix Display

■ 64MB 100MHz SDRAM ■ A/EW6.0GB‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive (75GB Max")

■ Removable Combo 24X Max' Variable CD-ROM and Floppy Drive

■ 2X AGP SMB ATI RAGE Mobititv’‘-P 3D Video

■ 3D Positional Sound with Wavetable

■ Internal PCI 56K Capable" V.90 Fax Modem

■ Dellnet'" 1-Year Internet Access Service" with 20MB of Online Backup"

^ ^ Q O O ^ As low $79/Mo„for 48 Mos.”

O X ✓ Wt E-VALUECODE:B9553-800128
Dell Recommended Upgrade:

■ A/EW12GB‘ UltraATA Hard Drive

■ Microsoft’ Office 2000 Small Business plus Encarta

■ WEkV Quicken’ 2000 PowerPack

Add S339 E-VAIUE CODE: 89553-800132h

Inspiron" Notebooks include:

■ McAfee VirusScan 4.02

■ Microsoft^ Windows* 98, Second Edition

a A/£W Microsoft* Works Suite 2000 with Money 2000 Standard
a Lithium Ion Battery
a MusicMatch* Jukebox Standard”
a /V£Wi-Learn My Dell* PC
a 3-Year Limited Warranty'

DELL* INSPIRON'* 3700 Notebook

Light Weight, Light Price

a NEW Intel* Pentium* III Processor at 4S0MHz

a 14.1" XGA Active Matrix Display

a 64MB 100MHz SDRAM

a 4,eGB‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive

a Modular 24X Max' Variable CD-ROM

a 2X AGP 8MB ATI RAGE Mobility "-Ml 3D Video

a 3D Positional Sound with Wavetable

a 56K Capable” V.90 WinModem PC Card with XJACK*

^ O ^ OO As low as $64/Mo.,for 48 Mos.”

^ jC O jC 7 fa EWALUE CODE: 89553-B00123
Dell Recommended Upgrade:
a Custom Leather Carrying Case
a Second Lithium Ion Battery with ExpressCharge'"
a Targus Oefcon Notebook Alarm
Add S239 E'VAIUE CODE: 89553-800125h

DELL* INSPIRON'* 3700 Notebook
Light Weight, Light Price
a Intel* Celeron" Processor at 433MHz
a 12.1“ SVGA Active Matrix Display
a 32MB SDRAM
a 4.8G8‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive
a Modular 24X Max’ Variable CD-ROM
a 2X AGP SMB ATI RAGE Mobility''-M1 3D Video
a 3D Positional Sound with Wavetable

^ As low as S46/MD.,fo/ 48 Mos.”

^107 y fa E-VAIUECOD£;89553-800116
Dell Recommended Upgrade;
a Upgrade to 14.1" XGA Active Matrix Display
a NEWe.OGB' Ultra ATA Hard Drive

a Removable 6X Max" Variable DVD-ROM Drive (Customer Installed)
Add $449 E-VALUE CODE: 89553-800121h

US£ THE POWER OF THE E-VALUE"' CODE.

Match our latest technology with our latest
prices and learn about current discounts
and promotions at www.clell4me.com

Pentium®///

“Monthly payments based on sales price depicted for 48-mo. term at 13.99% APR. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY FOR THIS
APR. APk for qualified customers varies oy creditworthiness of customer as determined by Dell Financial Services L.P.
Payments excluae taxes and shipping charges that vary. Taxes & shipping charges due with 1st payment unless included in the
amount financed, in which case your monthly payment will be higher. Purchase Plan offered through Oell Financial Services
LP, 14050 Summit Dr., Austin, TX 78728, to U.l state residents (including D.C.) with approved credit, excluding AR and MN
residents. Availability may be limited or offer may vary in other states.

Pricing not discountablo. Prices and specifications valid in U.S. only and subjoct to change without notice. 'For a complete copy of (Suaraniees or Limilod Warranties,
write Dell USA LP., Attn: Warranties, One Dell Way, Round Rock, TX 78602. 'At-home or on-site service provided via service contract between customer snd third-party
provider, and is not available in certain remote areas. Technician dispatched if necessary following phone-based troubleshooting with technical support personnel, Other
conditions apply. ‘For hard drives, GB means 1 billion bytes; total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. ’17X Min. '10X Min, ‘2QX Min. "2.5X Min,
''Download speeds limited to 53Kbps. Upload speeds are less (in the 30Kbps rangel and vary by modem manufacturer. Speeds also vary depending on line conditions.
Analog phone line and compatible server equipment required. "Includes 150 hours Internet access per month, with SI .50 per hour charge for each hour (or fraction

NEW DELL’ DIMENSION^ XPSB733rDesMop

Cutting Edge Technology

■ Inter Pentium* III Processor at 733MHz ■ t28MB ECC PC700 RDRAM at 356MHz

■ 27.3GB‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive ■ 17'' (16,0" vis, ,26dp) M780 Monitor

■ A/eiV32MB NVIDIA geFORCE 4X AGP Graphics Card

■ 8X Max” Variable DVD-ROM Drive with FREE $20 DVD Movie Offer”

■ NEW SB Live! Value Digital with MusicMatch" Jukebox Enhanced”

■ NEW Harman Kardon HK-595 Surround Sound Speakers with Subwoofer

■ V.90 56K Capable" PCI Telephony Modem for Windows

■ 1-Year Dellnet*“ Internet Access” Service with 20MB of Online Backup’’

O 7Q O As low as S76/Mo„ for 48 Mos,”

^ ^ y y y SB fc-VAlUECOD£;89S53-500127h
Dell Recommended Upgrade;

■ 19“ (17,9" vis) P991 FD Trinitron* Monitor

■ 8X Max'" Variable DVD-ROM Drive and Decoder Card with TV Out

■ A/EkV Altec Lansing THX Certified ADA-885 Dolby Digital Speakers with Subwoofer
Add $389 E-VALUE CODE; 89553-500131u

The DelUme ” total owrtership experience; a
complete resource for products ond services
that make it eosy For you to get the most out
of technology.

SOFTWARE: Dell* offers a variety of software muHipacks designed for work, education
or play. ■ Family Fun 5-Pack" featuring Star Wars-Rogue Squadron, S99 ■ Quicken Power
3-Pack," S89 ■ Choose from one of four Education Packs," $79

PRINTERS: Dell simplifies your life and ensures compatibility by pre-installing drivers
for select printers” on your new Dell PC. Just turn it on, attach the printer cable, it just takes
seconds. ■ HP 895 Printer, $299 ■ Other brands and models available, starting at $149

CAMERAS AN D SCANNERS: Doll offers you the tools you need to take pictures
and archive images on your hard drive instead of in a shoebox. Send pictures and video to
friends and family via e-mail. ■ Epson 610u Scanner, $149 ■ Intel* PC Camera ProPack, $129

■ Fuji MX1200, $299

SERVICE AND SUPPORT: Dell offers you the help you need when you need it, via
phone or online. ■ 24 x7 phone and online tech support ■ Dimension Premier 3-Year Al-Home
Service’, add $99 ■ Inspiron 3- Year On-Site Service’, add $99 ■ Support.dell.com for innovative
online support tools

INTERNET ACCESS AND SERVICES: Dell offers you access to the Internet as
well as online services and resources designed to help you make the most of your PC

■ Dellnet’" Internet access” with 20MB of Online Backup” ■ Simple drag and drop website
creation tool with 12MB of homepage storage space ■ Over $350 worth of special offers for
Dell customers with popular online retailers

PAYMENT SOLUTIONS: Dell offers several payment options designed to fit a wide
range of customer needs. ■ Dell Platinum Visa’ Card ■ Dell Purchase Plan” ■ Dell E-Check
(automatic checking withdrawal)

DELL4me

Dimension* Desktop Systems include;

■ Keyboard ■ Mouse ■ 3.5“ Floppy Drive

■ /vew Microsoft* Works Suite 2000 with Money 2000 Basic

■ McAfee VIrusScan 4.02 ■ Microsoft* Windows^ 98, Second Edition

■ 3*Year Limited Warranty’ ■ l-Year At-Home Service’

NEW DELL* D/MfNS/ON* xpsT650rDesktop
High Performance, Great Value

■ Intel’ Pentium' III Processor at BSOMHz

■ 128MB SDRAM at lOOMHz ■ 13-6GB' Ultra ATA Hard Drive

■ A/EW17- (16.0“ vis, .28dp) E770 Monitor

■ 32MB NVIDIA TNT2 "Ultra" AGP Graphics

■ 48X Max' Variable CD-ROM Drive

■ Turtle Beach Montego* II A3D'" 320V Sound Card with
MusicMatch* Jukebox Standard”

■ Altec Lansing ACS-340 Speakers with Subwoofer

■ V.90 56K Capable" PCI Telephony Modem for Windows

■ l-Year Oellnet’” internet Access” with 20MB of Online Backup”

<t I O O O K* As low as S55/MO., (or 48 Mos.“

-Plyyy '*1 E.VALUECODE;B9553-500119h
Dell Recommended Upgrade;

■ NEWSB Livel Value Digital with MusicMatch* Jukebox Enhanced’

■ NEW Harman Kardon HK-595 Surround Sound Speakers
with Subwoofer

■ 250MB Iomega Zip BUILT-IN Drive with One Disk
Add S279 E-VALUE CODE: 89553-500122u

DELL* D/A1fA/5/OA/» L500r Desktop

Affordable Desktop Solution

■ Intel* Pentium* III Processor at 500E MHz

■ 64MB SDRAM at lOOMHz ■ 6,4GB‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive

■ NEW 17" (16,0" vis, ,28dp) E770 Monitor

■ Intel* 3D AGP Graphics

■ 48X Max' Variable CD-ROM Drive

■ SoundBlaster 64V PCI Sound Card with MusicMatch*

Jukebox Standard”

■ harman/kardon HK-195 Speakers

■ V.90 56K Capable” PCI Telephony Modem for Windows

^ i I O O As low as S33/MO., (or 48 Mos.”

*« £-VALUECOD£;B9553-500111
Dell Recommended Upgrade;

■ 13.6GB‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive

■ Altec Lansing ACS-340 Speakers with Subwoofer

■ l-Year Delinet*’" Internet Access” Service with 20M8 of Online Backup”
Add $209 E-VALUE CODE: 89553-500n4u

DELL’ DIMENSION^ L433cDQsktop

Affordable Desktop Solution

■ Intel* Celeron'" Processor at 433MHz

■ 64MB SDRAM at lOOMHz

■ 4,3GB‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive

■ NEW 15" (13,8" vis) E550 Monitor

■ Intel" 3D AGP Graphics ■ 40X Max’ Variable CD-ROM Drive

■ SoundBlaster 64V PCI Sound Card with MusicMatch* Jukebox Standard*

■ harman/kardon HK-195 Speakers

■ V.90 56K Capable’’ PCI DataFax Modem for Windows

$899

As low as 525rMo., (or 48 Mos.”
E-VALUE CODE; 89553-500108

Dell Recommended Upgrade;

■ 6.4GB‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive

■ NEW 17" (16.0" vis, .28dpl E770 Monitor

■ 1-Year Dellnet’" Internet Access” Service with 20MB of Online Backup”
Add $189 E-VALUE CODE; 89553-5001 lOu

l■800■543•7126 mon-sun; TA-MPCT

thersoll over 150 hours, Remote subscribers subject to eddilicnal charge ofS4.95for each hour o( Dollnet service. Excludes applicablD taxes and
local/long distance telephone access fees or charges. Additional Sl.OO/hour surcharge for Dellnet service in HI and AK, "Online backup services
ere provided by a third party, and such services are provided subject to terms and conditions between such third party and the customer. Limited
to 20MB of online storage; additional storage space available at additional charge. Dell disclaims any responsibility for lost customer data.
“Software, packaging and documentation differ from retail versions. "For select Hewlett Packard primers. "Limited time offer. Includes one (1) DVD
title (max. S2Q.OO total value, including tax and shipping chargesi with purchase of a new Dell system with a DVD-ROM drive. Internet access
required to register (or the offer; see details at wvvw.dell.com/dellzane. Offer must be redeemed within 60 days from the date of system invoice.
Nncludes one f1l upgrade and online technical suppon from MusicMatch. "To achieve 75GB Max. hard drive capacity on the Inspiron 7500, you
must purchase a 25GS internal primary hard drive and the 25GB HDD option for both the 2nd and 3rd hard drive bays. Note that the Inspiron 7500
notebook must be used on AC power when utilizing the 75GB Max. hard drive configuration. •’2.4X Min, “13.S Min. "Based on Intel AGP 4X Graphics
Test and Platform Bandwidth Test. Intel, the Intel Inside logo and Pentium are registered trademarks and Celeron isa trademark of Intel Corporation.
MS, Microsoft, IntelliMouse and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, 3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com
Corporation, HP and DeskJet are registered trademarks of Hewlett Packard Corporation, ©1999 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.

BE DIRECT”

o«>u.

www.dell4nie.coiii

Congrotulofions, You just left Bob and bis computer back there about half a mile, standing in a cloud of your
dust. Meanwhile you're cruising at Mach II thanks to the new motherboard. Combined with RDRAM, it offers
up to a 116% increased memory performance gain over earlier systems.^^ The result — WHOA! Start if up
and you'll find that everything is faster, smoother, more realistic and more intense. Technology at warp speed.
It's one more benefit of the DelUme^ total ownership experience. It's a complete resource for products and
services that make if easy for you to get the most out of technology.

DELL4me I I YOUR THOUGHTS EXACTLY.

pentium«///

NEW DELL D/A1 EA/S/O A/ XPS B733r Desktop
The Need-for-Speed Solution

■ Intel’ Pentium' III Processor al 733MHr ■ 128MB ECC PC700 RDRAM at 356MHz
• 27.3GB' Ultra ATA Hard Drive ■ 17" (16.0' visl P780 FD Trinition’ Monitor

■ NEW32MB NVIDIA gcFORCE 4X AGP Graphics

■ 8X Max'° Variable DVD-ROM Drive and Decoder Card with TV Out with FREE $20 DVD Movie Offer”

■ NEWSB Live! Value Digital with MusicMaich* Jukebox Enhanced”

■ NSkV Altec Lansing THX Certified ADA88S Dolby Digital Speakers with Subwoofer

■ V.90 56K Capable" PCI Telephony Modern for Windows

■ Microsoft' Works Suite 2000 with Money 2000 Basic • Microsoft* Windows’ 98, Second Edition

■ 1-Year Delinct”' Internet Access" Service with 20MB of Online Backup"'

■ 3-Year Limited Warranty’ ■ 1-Year At-Home Service'

^ AslowasS82/Mn.,for48Mos.'"

^ y y i:'VAlUECODE:89552-5001Z9

Dell Recommended Upgrade;

■ 19" 117.9" vis) P991 FD Trinitron' Monitor ■ 34-2GB‘ Ultra ATA Hard Drive

■ Microsoft* Natural Keyboard Pro, Dell’ Edition
Add S389 E-VALUC CODE; &9552-500133ii

BE DIRECT"

D^LL

1.800.545.7126 MON-SUN; 7A-IIP CT

www.dell4me.com

“Monthly payments based on sales price depicted for 48-mo. term at 13.99% APR, NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALtFY FOR
THIS APR. APR for qualified customers varies by creditworthiness of customer as determined by Dell Financial Services
L.P. Payments exclude taxes and shipping charges that vary. Taxes & shipping charges due with 1st payment unless
included in the amount financed, in which case your monthly payment will be higher. Purchase Plan offered through Dell
Financial Services LP., 14050 Summit Dr., Austin, TX 78728, to U.S. state residents (including D.C.) with approved credit,
excluding AR and MN residents. Availability may be limited or offer may vary in other states.

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